SACRED HISTORY ;
OR THE
historical part cf ti)e ^olp gcripuircs
.♦ OF THE
OLD AND NE'V TESTAMENTS;
DIGESTED
INT£ DUE METHOD,
WITH RESPECT TO-
ORDER OF TIME AND PLACE.
WITH
OBSERVATIONS,
TENDING TO
ILLUSTRATE SOME PASSAGES THEREIN.
BY THOMAS ELLWOOD.
VOLUME I.
IRST AMERICAN EDITION.
BURLINGTON:
PUBLISHED Br DAVID ALLIKSOK.
N£W-YORK: PRINTED BY DEARE AND ANDPEWS.
:.04.
a
tain-
;light.
UNIVERSITY
OF PITTSBURGH
LIBRARIES
DAR. RM
BS63S
l8CA
v.\
THIS BOOK PRESENTED BY
Friends'
Historical Society of
Swarthmore College
PREFACE,
What Cicero saith of history in general, namely,
that it is, Temporum testis, lux veritatis, vita memories,
magistravitce, & nuncia antiquitatis ; i.e. The witness
of time, the light of truth, the life of memory, the mis-
tress of life, and the messenger of antiquity, cannot be
so well verified of any particular history, as of that
which, being written by divinely inspired penmen, is
contained in the books of the Old and New Testament :
the former of which is the subject of this volume.
Of the matter nothing need be said, nothing perhaps
can be said, to add to the excellency or credit thereof:
but of the motive of inducement to this undertaking,
somewhat, peradventure, may be necessary to be
hinted.
Two things more especially led me to it :
One, that^he divine providence, the wisdom, power,
goodness, and favour of God, in ordering, disposing,
providing for, preserving, defending, and wonderfully
delivering his servants and people out of the greatest
straits, difficulties, hardships, dangersSjld suffer-
ings, being more directly, and in a continued series
and course of actions, set before the reader's eye ; he
might be thereby the more stirred up and engaged to
admire and magnify, to love, reverence, and fear the
Lord, and be the more careful not to offend him.
The other motive was, that all, the youth especially,
of either sex, under whatsoever religious denomination
they go, might be furnished with such an entertain-
ment, as might yield them at once both profit and delight.
4" PREFACE.
For having, not without uneasiness of mind, observ-
ed how much too many, not to say most, mis-spend
their precious time ; some in reading vain fictions
(called romances) lewd novels, lascivious poems, and
vice-promoting play-books ; others, more soberly and
religiously inclined, in reading other books, if not
much hurtful, yet not much instructive and beneficial ;
I hoped I should do no unacceptable service, at least
to some, in presenting them with the sacred history,
so digested, as might both invite their attention, and
recompense their pains in reading, with the double ad-
vantages of godly inctruction and virtuous pleasure.
If any shall think the undertaking needless, because
the history is already extant in the bible ; I mtreat such
to consider, that although the bible be, or may be, in
every hand, and ought to be read (by all that can read)
with diligence and attention of mind ; yet since the
history lies diffused and scattered throughout the whole
book, it is no small discouragement to the reader, that
is desirous to peruse the history in a regular course, to
find the thread thereof frequently cut off by the inter-
rosition of other matters, as genealogies of persons,
derivations of families and colonies, ceremonial laws,
peculiarly adapted to the Mosaic dispensation and ab-
rogated with it, prophetic denunciations of judgments
nst some per::tns or people, of whom scarce any
further memorial now remains than their bare names.
To remove all such discouragements, I have in this
work endeavoured to draw together the dispersed parts
of the histjfe ; connecting them into a continued sl
and rtdudBg, as near as I could, each part in its due
with, respect to the right order of time. But
this pc rhaps may be thought to relate rather to another
fend, the manner of performance.
Of that I shall not say much, but luave it to the
reader's judgment, when he shall have gone through
..hole. Yet some few things for his information,
needful he should be told beforehand, viz.
1. That, in digesting the following history, I have
I rictly tied myself to the letter, and very syllables
PREFACE.
of the text : but, with all due circumspection, and care
to retain the matter and sense, have sometimes varied
the expression, as I thought might be most beneficial
to the reader ; sparing, by that means, many circum-
locutions and repetitions of the same matter.
2. Where I have at all left the last English transla-
tion, I have followed, for the most part, some other,
English or Latin ; or the judgment of some eminently
learned expositors. And when I mention sometimes
the Bishop's Bible, I intend thereby that translation
and edition which was printed with notes, by Barker,
the queen's printer, in the year 1600, in the old black
letter : which edition, I think, is called the Bishop's
Bible, to distinguish it from other editions.
3. In the chronology, (especially with respect to
the times of the rule of the judges, and of the reigns
of the kings of Israel and Judah) I found so much un-
certainty, and so little certainty or agreement amongst
interpreters about it, that I chose to have left it as I
found it, rather than spend time and pains to recon-
cile the different computations delivered in the books
of the Kings, and of the Chronicles. Yet, to gratify
the desires of some, I have, since the copy was writ-
ten, added at the bottom, under the letters A. M. the
year of the world, to the most remarkable stories.
Wherein, for the most part, I have followed the ac-
count of time as it is delivered by R. Blome, in his
elaborate work called, 4 The History of the Old and
New Testament,' the quarto edition.
4. The helps I have had, have been chiefly from Dr.
Gell's Essay towards an amendment of the last Eng-
lish translation of the Bible ; Hugh Broughton's Con-
sent of Scripture ; Godwyn's Moses and Aaron (whom,
for the most part, I have followed, in reducing the
Hebrews' measures and coins to the English) ; the
Annotations of Tremellius and Junius (which I have
©ftener used than named); and for the expositions of
proper names, whether of persons or places, I have
been beholden to the table of Robert F. Kerry.
A2
f) PREFACE.
5. The whole work is divided into three parts,
without any particular regard to the seven periods of
time, into which chronologers and historiographers
(out of a desire to reduce them to some sort of pro-
portion with the six days' work, and seventh day's rest
in the first week of the creation) have generally divid-
ed the ages of the world.
6. Of these three parts, the first reaches from the
creation to the death of Moses ; when the children of
Israel, being come to the border of the promised land,
were ready to enter in. And it contains the remark -
ables delivered in the pentateuch, or five books of
Moses, and that of Job ; which is here inserted be-
tween the books of Genesis and Exodus.
7. The second part, beginning with the book of
Joshua, goes through that, and the book of Judges,
with the first book of Samuel ; and carries on the his-
tory from the death of Moses to the death of Saul,
and the account that was brought to David of it. In
this are recounted the transactions of chief note under
all the judges, as well ordinary as extraordinary, and
under Saul, the first anointed king of Israel; whose
rule I chose to cast into this part with the judges, as
notholding him fit, with respect to his odd accession
to the government, his quick rejection from it, and
mal-administration of it, to be the head of the suc-
ceeding monarchy.
8. The third part, by much the largest, beginning
with the second book of Samuel, sets forth the reigns
of the kings of Israel and Judah, with the most me-
morable acts and occurrences therein, from David, to
the return of the last Babylonish captivity, and re-
building of the temple ; taking in the prophets as near
as may be in their several times.
I am not ignorant that divers have laboured on this
subject diversely; but none that I know of, hath pur-
sued and carried it on in this method.
Abort the beginning of the last age there was a
tn atise written under the title of, l The general View
©: the Holy Scriptures ;' the author of which was not
T^fc
■/
certainly known, but was supposed to be the learned
Broughton : and, indeed, the stile and structure would
persuade it.
It was sometime after re-printed, with additions, by
Thomas Hayne ; and is doubtless an artful discourse
in its way and kind ; but it doth not pretend to give a
complete history, or to relate historically the various
transactions recorded in the holy text.
To omit some others of less note, there was pub-
lished, not many years ago, ■ A complete History and
Mystery of the Old and New Testament ;' a book well
fraught with variety of useful matter : but the mystery
is not only interwoven with the history, but hath also
so much over-grown it, that the reader, who shall de-
sire to peruse the history by itself, will be at some loss
in that respect, how well soever otherwise he may em-
ploy his time therein.
Of ail that I have yet seen, that which promises
most fairly to answer this end, is R. Blome's late His-
tory of the Old and New Testament. A work, in-
deed, not only instructive and delightful, but pompous
and magnificent. But that book, by reason of the
many plates, is swelled to so great a bulk and price,
that it seems not calculated for common readers.
Those therefore, notwithstanding, none of which
came to my hand until I had finished this work, I hope
I may escape the censure, if not obtain the favour, of
the ingenious reader, for publishing this ; which I
take to be more agreeable to the title and end of an
history than the former, and to be more within the
reach of every reader, to say no more than the latter.
So far am I from aiming by this to draw. any from
reading the Holy Scriptures, that I earnestly desire
and press all, who shall read this historj^, to compare
it with the text itself ; that, like noble Bereans, they
may search and see whether what I have herein de-
livered be agreeable therewith.
I hope there will not any thing be found in the fol-
lowing sheets from whence occasion may be taken to
raise controversy. There is too much of that in the
8 pREFACr.
world already : and I have studiously endeavoured net
to administer any occasion for more. If in any thing my
pen has slipped ; or if any one shall apprehend I have
erred, where I have delivered my sense different from
the sentiments of others, he that will be so kind, in a
fair and friendly way, to inform me of it, shall have
a due acknowledgment of his kindness, and the best
satisfaction I can give him. But of common cavillers,
whose carping censures scarce any thing that is good
can escape, I shall not hold myself obliged to take
notice.
SACRED HISTORY :
OR THE
^HISTORICAL PART OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES
OF THE
OLD TESTAMENT.
PART I.
THE
Soolt Of <$t\\Z2i$;
so called,
BECAUSE IT TREATS OF THE BEGINNING AND GENERA-
TION OF MAN, AND THE OTHER CREATURES ; CON-
TAINING AN HISTORY OF ABOUT 2369 YEARS.
From the creation to the flood, though more than
sixteen hundred years did pass between, the historical
account of things, as they stand recorded in the holy
text, is very short ; the heads only of matters being
delivered, and that but briefly. Of these, the first most
remarkable i3 the admirable order of the creation,
whereby the chaos was reduced into form, divided
into six days' work.
In the first day i the spirit of God moved upon the
face of the waters, and God said, Let there be lipht,
and there was light ;' light being brought forth by ihiit
effective word. And it is observable, that the first
thing which we read God pronounced good, was the
light : ' God saw the light that it was good.' But he
did not see it good that the light should be intermixed
with darkness ; therefore he i divided the light from
the darkness,' And l the light,' thus separated from
10 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
the darkness, l God called day;' but 'the darkness he
called night.'
In the second day, God said, ' Let there be a firma-
ment in the midst of the waters,, and let it divide the
waters from the waters ; and it was so.' For God by
that word made the firmament (that is, spread forth
the expansum, or convex, which we call the firma-
ment) ' and divided the waters which were under the
firmament, from the waters which were above the
firmament. And God called the firmament heaven.'
In the third day, God said, ' Let the waters under
the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and
let the dry land appear ; and it was so. And God
called the dry land earth ; and the gathering together
of the waters called he seas.' And now the second
time we read, ' God saw that it was good.'
Here, by the way, it may not be amiss to observe,
that what, in ver. 1, the translators render ' In the
beginning,' some other learned men render lIn wis-
dom ;' so reading it, l In wisdom God created the
heaven and the earth.' Dr. Gell,' in his Essay towards
the amendment of the last English translation of the
Bible, page 2, tells us, the Targum of Jerusalem turns
it so ; and. himself approves that version, saying, It is
indeed no other than what David expresseth in Psalm
civ. where, having paraphrased upon the works ol
God in the creation, he breaks forth into admiration,
ver, 24, saving, ' O Lord, how manifold are thy works,
in wisdom hast thou made them all.' And in Psalra
cxxxvi. exhorting to give thanks unto the Lord for
his manifold mercies, he adds, ' To him that by wis-
dom made the heavens,' ver. 5 ; where by wrisdom is
understood the Son of God, by whom, says the evan-
gelist, John i. 3, 'all things were made;' which also
the apostle confirms, saying, ' By (or in) him were all
things created that are in heaven, and that are in earth,'
Coloss. i. 16; calling him also the beginning, ver. 13.
And in the Revelation he is called ' the beginning of
the creation of God,' Rev. iii. 14. So that if we read
the words, as in the text, ' In the beginning God ere-
PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 11
ated the heaven and the earth,' it seems we are by the
word 'beginning' to understand Christ the Son of God,
who sets himself forth under the name also of wisdom,
Prov. viii. And the same Dr. Gell, in the place before
quoted, tells us, the interlineary gloss interprets, in
principio, in the beginning, infilio suo, in his Son. But
if the words ' in the beginning,' be understood of time,
and the order of the creation, it may occasion a doubt
whether, in a strict sense, the heaven and the earth
were created in the beginning, that is, were the begin-
ning, or first part, of the creation. For the heaven
being set in the second day's work, and the earth in
the third ; since a third and a second do imply a first,
it seems not to stand with propriety of speech, to call
the third day, or the second day, the beginning. But
the whole work, and every part of it, both first and
last, was undoubtedly made in wisdom. But of this
a touch only. Let us now go forward.
The earth thus drained of the waters, the next
work was, to give it a prolific virtue. Wherefore
God said, ' Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb
yielding seed, and the fruit-tree yielding fruit after its
kind, whose seed is in itself upon the earth ; and it was
so.' And here again it is said, ' God saw that it was
good.'
In the fourth day God said, ' Let there be lights in
the firmament of heaven, to divide the day from the
night, and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and
for days and years. And let them be for lights in the
heaven, to give light upon the earth ; and it was so :
for God made two great lights, both great, but one
greater than the other ; the greater, which is the sun,
to rule the day ; and the lesser, which is the moon, to
rule the night. He made the stars also. And God
set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light
upon the earth, and to rule over the day, and over the
night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And
God saw that it was good.'
In the fifth day, God said, 'Let the waters bring
forth abundantly the moving creature that hath
12 SACRED HISTORY. J»ART I.
life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open
firmament of heaven. So God created great whales,
and every living creature that moveth, which the wa-
ters brought forth abundantly after their kind, and
every winged fowl after its kind ; and God saw that it
was good. And he blessed them, saying, Be fruitful
and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas j and let
fowl multiply in the earth.'
From those words, in ver. 20, 4 Let the waters bring
forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life,
and fowl,' &c. an opinion hath arisen, that fowls took
their origin wholly from the water. But from what is
said in chap. ii. ver. 19, c Out of the ground the Lord
God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of
the air,' hath sprung another opinion, that fowls de-
rive their beginning from the earth. These being the
two extremes, the middle may probably be the right,
that they had their original partly from the waters,
and partly from the earth. This Tremellius and Junius
favour. And this might render the flesh of fowls less
gross than that of beasts ; more firm than that of fishes.
In the sixth and last day's work, God in the first
place added to the fertility of the earth, which before
brought forth only vegetables, the production of ani-
mals, saying, ' Let the earth bring forth the living
creature after its kind, cattle and creeping things, and
beasts of the earth after their kinds $ and it was so.
And God saw that it was good.'
And now, after all the other parts of the creation
were finished in their beautiful order fit for the recep-
tion and use of man, God altered his stile. For
whereas before he only said, Let this or that be so or
so ; now God said, l Let us make man (or Adam) in
our image after our likeness, and let them (for male
and female created he them, chap. v. 2.) have dominion
over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air,
and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over
every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.'
Herein then, besides the divine image wherein man
was made, may the origination of man be justly ac-
PARTI. SACRED HISTORY. 13
counted more noble and honourable than that of any
of the rest of the creatures, that whereas they were
produced by a word speaking, God is said to have
formed man, Gen. ii. 7 ; and man is called the work-
manship of God, Eph. ii. 10; and the offspring of God,
Acts xvii. 23. And though the matter man was form-
ed of was but the dust of the ground, yet God breath-
ing into his nostrils the breath of life, man thereby
became a living soul.
Man, thus excellently made, was blessed by God,
both male and female, with two great blessings, fruit-
fulness and dominion ; the Lord God saying unto them,
1 Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and
subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of "the sea,
and over the fowl of the air, and over every thing that
moveth upon the earth.' See Psalm viii.
Then appointing unto man for food every seeding
herb, and the fruit of every seeding tree, and to the
beasts, fowls, and creeping things every green herb,
God took, if I may so speak, a general survey of his
whole work, and pronounced it very good.
After the work of creation was finished, and a day
of rest had succeeded, the next historical remark we
meet with, is God's planting a garden eastward in
Eden, with the description and bounds thereof: his
putting therein the man whom he had formed, and ap-
pointing him to dress and keep it, with the general per-
mission and particular prohibition what to eat, and what
to abstain from. Then follows the naming of the crea-
tures by Adam, as the Lord caused, them to come be-
fore him; after which comes the particular description
of the formation of woman, which was thus :
After the Lord had declared, that it was not ..good
the man should be alone, and that therefore, he would
make him an help meet, or fit for him, he caused a
deep sleep to fall upon Adam, for so was he called
from the red earth of which he was made ; and while
Adamfllept, God took out one of bis ribs, closing up
the flesh instead thereof, and made or builds d the rib
VOL. I, b
14 SACRED HISTORY. I»ART I.
into a woman, and brought her unto the man. Adam,
sensible of what the Lord had done, as soon as he
saw the woman, said, ' This is now bone (out) of my
bones, and flesh (out) of my flesh. She shall be called
woman, (or matmess) because she was taken out of
man. Therefore, (says the text) shall a man leave
his father and his mother, (that is, rather than his
wife,) and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be
one flesh.' This was the divine institution of mar-
riage with the law thereof, in the naked innocencyand
unblushing simplicity of the man and his wife, while
they abode in the delightful garden of Eden.
But from this state of innocency and happiness they
fell, being betrayed by the malice and guile of an ad-
versary ; who he was, and how he came to be so,
must be sought elsewhere ; for Moses in this relation
gives no account of the fall, or indeed, of the creaticn
of angels, yet frequent mention we afterwards find in
the holy scriptures of angels, and those both good
and bad. Good they were all created, as all things
else were that God made ; but that some of them kept
not their first estate, but left their own habitation, and
through pride, aspiring higher, sinned against God,
and were by him cast down to hell, we are taught by
the apostles Peter and Jude, 2 Pet. ii. 4. Jude vi. to
which some additional light is given from Job iv. 18,
John viii. 44, and 1 John iii. 8. The chief of these
fallen angels, called here the serpent, and afterwards
the old serpent, Rev. xx. 2 ; and Beelzebub, or the
prince of the devils, which were the rest of those an-
gels that fell also ; envying the happiness of man, that
he should retain and enjoy that state of innocencyand
bliss, in which he was made and set, whereas they
had forfeited and lost theirs, contrived how to beguile
the man, and draw him also into transgression, that
he might have him a companion in punishment ; and
in order thereunto he thus set upon the woman, as the
weaker vessel, by whom, if gained, he might (tie more
easily prevail upon the man. Accosting her therefore
in a "slight manner, he said, c Yea, (or indeed) hath
PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 15
God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the gar-
den ?' Nay, said the woman, it is but one tree that is
forbidden us : ' For we may eat of the frtrit of the
trees of the garden ; but of the fruit of the tree which
is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, ye shall
not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.'
God's word was positive : 4 In the day that thou
eatest thereof, thou shall surely die,' (or dying thou
shale die.) Gen. ii. 17. The woman in repeating it
renders it only doubtful, or questionable, 4 lest ye die.'
There the serpent taking hold, replies, 4 Ye shall not
surely die : but God doth know, that in the day ye
eat thereof, your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall
be as gods, knowing good and evil.'
This kindled desire in the woman, who looking on
the fruit through the optic of ambition, apprehended
the tree was 4 good for food, pleasant to the sight,
and a tree to be desired to make one wise ; wherefore
she took of the fruit thereof, and did not only eat of
it herself, but gave also unto her husband with her,
and he did eat.'
Now were the eyes of them both opened ; but it was
but to see their own nakedness and misery. They
had, indeed, acquired knowledge, but it was a knowl-
edge, arising from a sad experience, that the serpent
had beguiled them, and drawn them from the good
which they knew before, into the evil which they knew
not.
This dear-bought knowledge brought upon them at
once both guilt, and the effect of guilt, shame ; so that
sewing fig-leaves together, they made themselves
aprons to gird about them to cover their new discov-
ered nakedness. 4 And when they heard the voice of
the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the
day, they hid themselves from his presence amongst
the trees of the garden.' But when the Lord called
forth Adam by name, rousing him up with an, l Adam,
Where art thou ?' Adam was then fain to make an-
swer, 'I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was
afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.'
16 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
In confessing his nakedness, he confessed his guilt,
of which thereby God convicted him. ' Who told
thee,' said God to him, ' that thou wast naked ? Hast
thou eaten of the tree wThereof I commanded thee
that thou shouldest not eat V
Adam was not yet grown so hardy as to deny the
fact ; but he endeavoured to excuse himself, by lay-
ing the blame upon his wife, not without a tacit re-
flection therein upon God himself. ' The woman,' said
he, ' whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of
the tree and I did eat.'
God thereupon calling the woman to account, 'What
is this,' said he to her, 'that thou hast done ?' She also
readily confessed the fact, yet willing, like her hus-
band to throw the blame as much as she could off her-
self, alledged that she had been drawn thereto by the
guile of the serpent. ' The serpent,' said she, 'beguiled
me, and I did eat.'
God did not proceed with the serpent as he had
done with the man and the woman, whom by exami-
nation he had brought to confession, and so to con-
viction ; but presently passing sentence upon the ser-
pent, he said, ' Because thou hast done this, thou art
cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the
field'.: upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt
thou eat all the days of thy life. And I will put en-
mity between thee and the woman, and between thy
seed and her seed ; it shall bruse thy head, and thou
shalt bruise his heel.'
To the woman he said, 'I will greatly multiply thy
& rrowi and thy conception. In sorrow thou shalt
bring forth children, and thy desire shall be to thy
husband, and he shall rale over thee.'
And unto Adam he said, ' Because thou hast har-
kened unto the voice of thy wife (in opposition to my
voice) and hast eaten of the tree of which I command-
ed thee not to eat: cursed be the ground for thy
sake ; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy
life. Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to
thee ; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field. In the
PARTI. * SACRED HISTORY 17
sweat of thy face shall thou eat bread, till thou Re-
turn unto the ground out of which thou wast taken :
for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.'
The proper doom or sentence being thus passed on
each, c God drove out the man from the garden of
Eden, and sent him to'till the ground from whence he
had been taken :' and lest, as through a too eager de-
sire of knowledge he had already transgressed, 'he
should put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of
life, and eat and live forever,' God, having sent him
out of the garden, ' placed at the east end thereof
cherubim s, and a flaming sword which turned every
way, to keep the way of the tree of life ;' yet he pro-
vided them better apparel than the fig-leaf coverings
they had stiched together themselves; to wit, coats
of skins, which he ordered for them.
4 Adam now called his wife's name Eve, because
she was to be the mother of all living ; that is, of all
the race of mankind that should live upon the earth.
And he knew his wife ; and she thereupon conceiving,
bare a son, whom she called Cain, (which signifies
possession,) saying, i I have gotten a man from the
Lord.' So we read it : but word for word it is, CI have
gotten the man, the Lord,' says Dr. Gell, Essay, p. 27.
where also he quotes Martin Luther so rendering it.
From which expression some conjecture, that Eve
was so far mistaken in Cain as to take him (who was
indeed but the first born after the transgression) for
that seed, which God had said should bruise the head
of the serpent.
But, however, as Cain maybe called the first-fruit
of the flesh, being the first of men that came by car-
nal procreation ; so he was the first persecutor, the
first murderer :# for he slew his own, his then (for
aught appears) only brother ; and that for no other
cause, but that his brother worshipped God more sin-
cerely, and more acceptably than himself, which gave
occasion for one to say of him,
* About the year of the world 128,
B 2
18 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
'He was the first that did his hands imbrue
< In human blood ; and by one murder slew
4 The fourth part of mankind.'
This unnatural murder happened thus : After Eve
had born Cain, she conceived again, and bare Abel,
who when he was grown up, was a keeper of sheep,
as Cain was a tiller of the ground. In process of time
each of them brought an offering to the Lord, Cain
of the fruit of the ground, and Abel of the firstlings
of his flock, and of the fat thereof. The Lord, who
saw and regarded the heart of each, had respect unto
Abel, and to his offering ; but unto Cain and his of-
fering, he had not respect. Cain was hereupon very
wroth, which the falling of his countenance shewed,
insomuch that God, taking notice, said unto him,
4 Why art thou wrroth ? and why is thy countenance
fallen ? If thou dost well, shalt thou not be accepted ?
But if thou dost not well, sin lieth at the door,' &c.
This soft reproof, which one would have thought
might have pacified wrathful Cain, seems to have rais-
ed his anger higher ; for taking an occasion, not long
after, to discourse with his brother Abel, when they
■were alone in the field together, he on a sudden fall-
ing upon his innocent brother, slew him. And when
the Lord, calling him to account for it, examined him
where his brother Abel was ? He as resolutely as
falsely answered, I know not ; and, as if he took it
for an affront that he should be questioned for his
brother, surlily asked, c Am I my brother's keeper V
But the Lord convicted him by the voice of Abel's
blood, said, c What hast thou done ? The voice of
thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.'
As if he had said, l though thou disdainest to be
thought thy brother's keeper, yet thou hast not stuck
to be thy brother's murderer ; and thou shalt know
that L*am the avenger of thy brother's innocent blood,
which thou hast wickedly, treacherously, unnatu-
rally shed, and which cries unto me for vengeance.'
And therefore, ' Now art thou cursed from the earth,'
said God to Cain, 'which hath opened her mouth to
PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 19
receive thy brother's blood from thy hand. When
thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield
unto thee its strength ; nor is that all, but a fugitive
and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.'
This sentence, gentle in comparison of the hein-
ousness of the crime, Cain complained highly of, ery-
ing unto the Lord, 4 My punishment is greater than I
can bear.' So we read it ; and so both Pagninus and
Tremellius turn it : though all acknowledge the He-
brew word, which they render punishment, signifies,
iniquity ; and so Arias Montanus gives it. But, in-
deed, Cain seemed not so sensible of his sin as of his
punishment, as his following words import : ' Behold
said he, thou hast driven me out this day from the
face of the earth, and from thy face shall I be hid, (he
puts his loss of advantages in the earth before his loss
of the presence of God) and I shall be a fugitive (add-
ed he) and a vagabond in the earth ; and it shall come
to pass, that whosoever findeth me shall slay me.'
Although that, according to the Talique law given
after, Gen. ix. 6, had been but just on Cain, yet inas-
much as God had taken this cause into his own imme-
diate cognizance, and had fixed the punishment; that
therefore, Cain suffering judicially, might not suffer
extrajudically also, nor his bloody act pass into exam-
ple for others, God to secure him, issued forth his
royal proclamation, if I may so speak, declaring, 'that
whosoever should slav Cain, vengeance should be
taken on him seven-fold ;' and that none might do it
by mistake, * God set a mark on Cain, lest any finding
him should kill him.'
Cain, thus branded, went out from the presence of
the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod, which signi-
fies fugitive ; and having by this time taken a wife,
she conceived and bare him a son, named Enoch ; af-
ter whose name Cain called the city, which afterwards
he began to build.
Cain's posterity is registered for seven generations,
perhaps to shew who were the authors or inventors of
certain trades j aud who were instrumental to corrupt
20 SACRED HISTORY, £ART I.
the better seed of Adam afterwards. Amongst these,
Lamech is noted, not only for his propensity to shed
blood, of which he seems to have boasted to his wives,
but for bringing polygamy into the world, being the
first we read of that had more wives than one at a
time. He took two, Adah and Zillah. Adah bare
him two sons, Jabal and Jubal ; Jabal first taught men
to live in tents, and to breed and order cattle. Jubal
was the first inventor of musical instruments, as the
harp and organ. Zillah, his other wife, bare him Tu-
bal-Cain, who was an instructor of artificers in brass
and iron ; whence a learned writer infers, that he was
the first that made armour and weapons of war. 4 A
trade,' says he, 'very fit for one of Cain's posterity.'
Dr. Gell, Essay, p. 45.
Thus have we done, for the present, with Cain and
his offspring, which was all swept away by the succeed-
ing flood; I wish his spirit had never entered any
since.
But Adam, having by an untimely death lost his
son Abel, knew his wife again, who, conceiving, bare
him another son, and called his name Seth ; for God,
said she, Gen. iv. 25, hath appointed me another seed
instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.* Through this
Seth, Adam's line, in ten generations before the flood,
with the age of each of these long-lived fathers, is
drawn forth in the fifth chapter of Genesis.
Among these, in the seventh degree from Adam,
lived Enoch ;\ to whom this singular testimony is
given, that he walked with God, or pleased God in
his walking, and that he was not, for God took him ;
which in the Epistle to the Hebrews is thus paraphras-
ed, t that he was not found, because God "had trans-
lated him, that he should not see death, having before
his translation received this testimony, that he pleased
God,' Heb. xi. 5 : and a prophecy of his, not elsewhere
found, at least not in Canonical Scripture, is remem-
bered, and cited by the apostle Jude, in his general
Epistle, ver. 14, 15.
• A- M. 130. t A. M. 66?.
PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 21
The two great families derived from Adam, viz.
.that by Cain, and that by Seth, who succeeded righte-
ous Abel, as they differed in their natures and course
of life, so they were distinguished one from the other
by very different appellations ; for the offspring of Cain,
being wholly given up to worldly pleasures, and mind-
ing only earthly things, were called men, or sons of
men ; but the offspring of Seth, because. they addicted
themselves to virtue and piety, and professed to wor-
ship the true God, were called the sons of God : and
well had it been for these sons of God, if they had kept
up that distinction practically, as well as nominally.
That Seth and his progeny would, for some ages,
be shy of conversing with Cain and his descendants,
from the knowledge they must needs have had of that
barbarous fratricide committed by Cain, in the inhu-
man murder of his brother Abel, may reasonably be
supposed :
But time working off that aversion, and as the world
grew more replenished with people, the godly genera-
tion indulging themselves a greater liberty, they enter-
tained a more free and familiar conversation with the
wicked offspring of cursed Cain, than was fit or safe
for them ; by which means, having exposed them-
selves to the allurements of the women, the lust of
the eye, representing the daughters of men fair, pre-
vailed upon the sons of God to join themselves , in
marriage with them.
It is not to be doubted but these, who were the off-
spring of the righteous, and professed themselves to
be the sons of God, were not a little by this time de-
generated also from the virtue and piety of their an-
cestors ; for we find, that immediately after this, God
complained of the wickedness of man in general, Gen.
vi. 5; and that 4 all flesh had corrupted his way upon
the earth,' ver. 12; and we know it is a maxim, that
" Nemo repente Jit turpissimus" " No man arrives to
theheight of wickedness on a sudden."
But how depraved soever they were before, this
joining themselves in marriage with those who were
.l?2 SiCRED HISTORY. PART I.
not one with them in 'the profession at least of religion,
and the worship of God, did fill Up the measure of
their iniquity, and set the seal of destruction upon
them ; for where we read, c The sons of God saw the
daughters of men, that they were fair, and took them
wives of all which they chose,' it follows immediately,
1 And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive
with man, for that he also is flesh. And God saw that
the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that
every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only
evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had
made man on earth; so that, (speaking after the manner
of men) it is said, it grieved him at the heart : where-
upon he declared, he would destroy (or blot out) man,
whom he had created, from the face of the es.rth.'
This happened in the days of Noah, the tenth from
Adam, who was a just man, and perfect in his gene-
ration, and walked with God. The apostle Peter
calls him 4 a preacher of righteousness,' 2 Peter ii. 5.
And God himself gave this testimony to him, 4 Thee
have I seen righteous before me in this generation,'
Gen. vii. 1. Therefore Noah found grace, or favour,
in the eyes of the Lord ; so that he, and for his sake,
his family, eight persons in all, were saved from the
general destruction, which was brought by the flood
upon all the rest of mankind.
Of this overflowing scourge the merciful God gave
mankind fair warning long before it came upon them,
both by the preaching of Noah, and by the prepara-
tion he made for the building of the ark for the saving
of his houshold ; by which he is said to have con-
demned the world, Heb. xi. 7.
For after the time allotted* by God for men to re-
pent and reform in, (supposed to be the hundred and
twenty years mentioned in Gen.vi. 3.) was well nigh
expired, and no amendment appeared, but God still,
saw the earth was corrupt, and filled with violence,
and that all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth ;
the Lord then declaring to Noah his resolution to de-
stroy all flesh from the earth by a flood of waters, com-
FART I. SACRED HISTORY. 23
manded him to make an ark or ship, the first that we
read of, for receiving and preserving a seed to replenish
die depopulated earth.
This ark he directed Noah to make of gopher wood,
which some take to be a kind of cedar, and to pitch
it both within and without, that the waters might not
pierce it. The length of it was to be three hundred
cubits, the breadth fifty cubits, and the height thirty
cubits ; which taking it for the common cubit, con-
taining a foot and a half, or half a yard, makes the
dimensions of the ark to be four hundred and fifty feet,
or one hundred and fifty yards in length, seventy-five
feet, or twenty-five vards in breadth ; and forty- five feet,
or fifteen yards in height. Some of the ancients, not
thinking the ark by these dimensions roomy enough to
receive commodiously all the creatures that were con-
tained therein, with their stowage of provisions and ne-
cessaries, have extended this measure by the geometri-
cal cubit, one of which contains six of the common cu-
bits, thereby making the ark six times bigger every
way, in length, breadth, and height.
In favour of which opinion both Origen and Au-
gustine are cited by Godwyn in his Moses and Aaron,
1. vi. c. 9. whom Wilson in his Christian Dictionary,
c verbo' Cubit, follows ; and Severus Sulpitius, an
ancient writer, as being coiemporary with Augustine,
seems to have inclined that way also, when speaking
of the ark, he calls it, ' Arcam immensce magnitudi-
nisj * An ark of excessive bigness.'
But this, by some of the modern writers, is reject-
ed and exploded as an extravagant notion j and the
learned Dr. Wilkins, in his Real Character, Part II.
chap. 5. sect. 6. p. 162, &c. has taken much pains to
shew, from John Buteo's Tract ' De Area Noe,' that
the ark measured by the common cubit was sufficiently
capacious of all, both creatures and provisions, that
were appointed to be received into it.
Ledrag therefore the reader to his own judgment
upon-tf^ whatever the dimensions of it were, it was
to be divided into three stories or decks, anjd those
24/ SACRED HISTORY, PART I.
into several rooms or apartments ; but one window
served it for light, and one door to go in and out at,
which was placed in the side of it.
■ According to this direction did Noah make the
ark ; and when it was finished, God having before
assured him, that although he destroyed all flesh be-
side, yet he would establish his covenant with him,
seven days before the rains began to fall, gave notice
to Noah, that he should come into the ark with his
family, and should take in with him of every living
thing of all flesh, both of cattle and beasts of the field,
birds and fowls of the air, and creeping things, two
of a sort, one male, and one female, to keep seed
alive to stock the earth again with ; but of clean beasts
he should take in by sevens, that is, three pairs of
males and females of every clean sort, both for breed
and food after the fiooci, and the seventh for sacrifice.
All which creatures, God by secret instinct, disposed
to come and offer themselves unto him ; and with them
he was also to take in food of all sorts sufficient to sus-
tain himself and them.
When Noah, pursuant to this direction, had enter-
ed the ark himself, with his wife and his three sons,
Shem, Ham, and Japheth, with their three wives, and
had taken in all the creatures, with provisions, as God
had appointed, the Lord shut him into the ark. This
was in the six hundredth year of his age ; and on the
seventeenth dav of the second month* were all the
fountains of the great deep broken up, and the win-
dows, or flood gates of heaven, opened, so that the
waters of the flood were upon the earth. And when
it had continued raining forty days and forty nights,
the waters were so risen, that they lifted up the ark,
and bare it up above the earth : so that as the waters
still increasing rose higher and higher, the ark swam
or floated, upon the surface of the waters.
* It may he observed, that at the time when our author wn'e,
the year began in what is now called the third month, then called
the first month, rnd the rest in order. This the reader is desired
to take notice of, whenever the number of a month is rjieivtioned.
I
FART I. SACRED HISTORY. 25
And to that degree did the waters prevail, that the
highest hills being covered, the waters stood fifteen
cubits deep upon the tops of the mountains. An hun-
dred and fifty days did the waters prevail before they
were quite drawn off again. In which time all flesh
died that moved upon the earth ; not only the whole
race of mankind, but every living substance of fowl,
cattle, beast, and creeping thing that moved upon the
dry land, were destroyed from off the earth, save
Noah only, and they that were with him in the ark.
The work being thus effected for which this flood
was sent, God remembered Noah, and every living
thing, and all the cattle that were with him in the ark ;
wherefore having stopped the fountains of the deep,
and shut the windows of heaven, whereby he restrain-
ed the rains from falling, he caused a wind to pass
over the earth, which made the waters begin to assuage;
and returning thenceforward continually from off the
earth, at the end of the hundred and fifty days they
were so far abated, that the ark rested upon one of
the mountains of Ararat in the country of Armenia.
This was on the seventh day of the seventh month,
just five months from the beginning of the flood ; from
which time continuing to decrease until the tenth
month following, on the first day of that month the
tops of the mountains were seen.
This, no doubt, was a welcome sight to Noah ; who
wisely considering, that if the tops only of the moun-
tains were discoverable, the waters must needs be
deep still in the vallies, waited yet forty days before
he attempted any further discovery ; and then, open-
ing the window of the ark, he sent forth a raven, which
went forth to and fro until the waters were dried up.
About seven days after, for a further trial,, he sent
forth a dove ; but she finding no rest for the sole of her
foot, because the waters were yet on the face of the
earth, returned to the ark ; and Noah, putting forth
his hand, took her into the ark to him.
vol. i. c
26 SACRED HISTORY. TART I.
Then staying yet other seven days, he f=cnt forth the
dove again, which in the evening returned to him,
having in her bill an olive leaf plucked off; by which
he knew that the waters were then abated from the
earth : and waiting yet other seven days, he sent forth
the dove the third time, and then she returned no
more.
When Noah had staid till the first day of the first
month, he removed the covering of the ark ; and
looking out, saw that the face of the ground was dried :
yet, having a pious regard to God's direction, as well
in coming forth, as in going in, he continued in the
ark till the seven and twentieth day of the second
month ; so that he was in the ark somewhat more than
a year. And needful it was that he should remain in
the ark, not only till the waters were sunk and the
ground well dried, but till the earth had produced some
fresh food for the creatures that were in the ark to live
upon.
Then did God bid Noah go forth, he ape! his wixre,
and his sons and their wives with him, and bring forth
with him all the living creatures, that they might breed
abutidantly, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the
earth ; and Noah did as the Lord commanded him.
The first thing we read of righteous Noah, after he
was safely landed, is, that he built an altar, the first
that we have any n*ention of, and thereon offered
burnt-offerings of clean beasts and fowls, sacrifices
of thanksgivings and praise unto the Lord, for the
deliverance and preservation he and his family had
received ; with which oblations, offered from a thank-
ful and pious mind, the Lord was so well pleased,
that he not only declared his acceptance thereof, but
thereupon made a covenant with Noah, and in him
with his posterity, the succeeding race of mankind,
graciously promising, « that he would not again curse
the ground any more for man's sake, neither should
there any more be a general flood to destroy the earth ;
and that while the earth remained, the appoii
sons of seed-time and harvest, cold and
PART I. SACPvED HISTORY. 27
and winter, and day and night, should not universally
cease ;' which covenant to confirm to man, and put
men out of fear when they should see the clouds ga-
ther, and the sky look dark, and the rain fall, he set
his bow, which we call the rainbow, in the cloud, to
be for a token of the covenant between God and them.
Hitherto men had lived upon vegetables ; herbs and
the fruits of trees were the food appointed them by
God at the first, Gen. i. 29 ; but now, after the flood,
their fare was enlarged, and flesh permitted them for
food. ' Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat
for you,' said God to Noah and his sons ; for I have
now given you free liberty to eat of all the living crea-
tures, as I did before of green herb : yet that men
might not grow savage, and, like brute beasts, eat the
creatures alive, he forbad them to eat the flesh with
the life, that is the blood, thereof; but first to take
away the life, by letting out the blood, and then to dress
and eat the flesh. And having renewed his former
blessing of fertility to Noah and his sons, bidding them
be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, he
subjected all the creatures to them anew, telling them,
4 The fear and dread of them should be upon every
beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, and
upon all the fishes of the sea ;' and that he would re-
quire the life of man of any beast that should take it
away, as well as of any one man that should murder
another.
The whole race of Cain being cut off by the. flood, it-
might have been hoped, that the new world (so we may
call that after the flood, as the apostle calls that before
the flood, the old world, 2 Pet. ii. 5.) would have been
planted with better people ; but as in the ark there
were unclean beasts preserved as well as clean, so in
Noah's family there was a Ham, as well as a Japheth
and a Shem.
The first instance we have of Ham's impiety, was
his discovering the nakedness of his father in a rude
and profane manner^ which his brethren dutifully and
modestly covered ; whereby they procured their father's
28 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
blessing upon them, as Ham had deservedly drawn
his curse upon himself.* For Noah, after he had per-
formed his devotions to God, applying himself to hus-
bandry, planted a vineyard ; and being but a voung
beginner, not well experienced in the nature and the
strength of the grape, he drank a little too liberally of
the wine, and being drunk therewith, was uncovered,
yet within his tent. His graceless son Ham, finding
him in this condition, instead of covering his father's
nakedness, went and discovered it, in a deriding man-
ner, to his two brethren without. Shem and Japheth
thereupon taking a garment laid it upon their shoul-
ders, and, in reverence to their father, going back-
wards, covered their father's nakedness without seeing
it. When therefore Noah, being recovered from his
wine, understood how his younger son Ham had serv-
ed him, and how regardful his other two sons had
been of him, he said, ' Cursed be Canaan, (that is,
all the posterity of Ham, as well as himself, for Canaan
was the son of Ham, ver. 18.) a servant of servants
shall he be unto his brethren ; but blessed, said he, be
the Lord God of Shem. And God shall persuade Ja-
pheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem, and
Canaan shall be their servant.'
We read not of any other children that Noah had,
hut these three, sons ; from each of which descended
a numerous offspring, which afterwards peopled many
countries, and in process of time the whole inhabited
world.
Shem is called the father of all the children of Eber,
Gen. x. 21. Eber was great grandson, or the fourth
from Shem ; and from him both the people of Israel
were called Ebrews (or Hebrews) and the language
ihey spake was called the Hebrew tongue ;/so that
from Shem came the Jews, Resides many other people
that inhabited Asia. This part of the world, which is
called Europe, is generally held to have been peopled
by the posterity of japheth; and besides those Ca-
naanites, and other people, which anciently possessed
* A. M. 1666.
rAJVjT *• SACRED HISTORY, 29
the land of Canaan, the Egyptians, Ethiopians, and
other eastern and southern nations, are taken to be the
descendants of Ham. jf
Hitherto there was but one language used or known
amongst men, neither had the sons of Noah, or their
families, as yet divided or dispersed themselves in the
world ; but keeping together in a body, they journied
onwards from the east, till finding an inviting plain in
the land of Shinar, where some suppose the garden of
Eden to have been, they sat down in order to settle
there.
.Now began two unruly passions to possess their
minds,* ambition and fear. They were very desirous
to make themselves a name ; and no less afraid that
they should be scattered abroad. To effect the one,
and prevent the other, they agreed to build themselves
a city, and a tower of such an extraordinary height,
that by a figure called hyperbole, it is said they design-
ed the top thereof, should reach to heaven.
The projected height of this tower hath caused some
to conjecture, that remembering the destruction
brought on mankind by the late flood, and grown dif-
fident of God's veracity, in keeping his covenant made
with them, that he would not bring a general deluge
over the earth again, they designed this topping tower
for a place of refuge andsecurityagainstthelike danger.
However, that the design and undertaking was evil,
and highly provoking to the Lord, is evident from the
displeasure he shewed at it, and the punishment he in-
flicted upon them for it ; for to check their presump-
tion, and disappoint their purpose, he confounded their
language, so that they could not understand one ano-
ther's speech. This put them into so great disorder,
that they were forced to give, over building; for by
reason of their different languages they could not com-
municate their minds and intentions one to another :
and being thereby rendered incapable, not only of car-
rying on their intended work, but of conversing one
* A. M. 1757.
c 2
SO SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
with another, andby that means deprived of the comforts
and pleasures of mutual society and intercourse, and
disabled from performing the reciprocal duties of
friendship and common neighbourhood, they willingly
withdrew one from another, and dispersed themselves ;
they who were of one language taking one way, and
they who were of another speech going another way:
for there is no reason to suppose that they were di-
vided into as many several tongues as they were per-
sons ; but rather that the several families, computed
to be seventy, which were afterwards to grow into se-
veral nations or people, had each a distinct and pecu-
liar language given them.
Thu^-were they scattered abroad upon the face of
the earth, which was the great thing they fearedi And
thus God at once both disappointed their design, and
answered his own ; which was, to re-people the earth
more generally and speedily, than it is probable they of
themselves would otherwise have done.
This confounding of their language gave name to
the city that they had begun to build ; which from
thence was called Babel, signifying confusion.
Among these aspiring builders, a forward and lead-
ing man no doubt, was Nimrod, whose name imports
a rebel. Great grandson he was to Noah by Ham,
and a great usurper and tyrant ; for which he was
proverbially called, ' The mighty hunter before the
Lord,' Gen. x. 9. And here he laid the foundation
of the first great empire in the world, w-hich at first
was called the Babylonian, from this city Babel, or
Babylon, the metropolis and seat of his empire. From
whence he, or some of his posterity, going afterwards
into Assyria, did there build the great city Nineveh,
which the prophet Jonah many ages after was sent to
prophesy against, and from thence this monarchy was
afterwards called the Assyrian, the first of the four.
It was more than an hundred years after the flood,
thai this confusion of tongues, and dispersion of
Koah's family, fell out ; for Peleg, the son of Eber, who
was great grandson to Shern, is reckoned to have been
PART. I. . SACRED HISTORY. 31
born in the hundredth and first year after the flood, and
had his name (Peleg) given him from that division of
the earth, which in his time was parted amongst
Noah's posterity, Gen. xi. 25.
About an hundred and twenty years after this was
born Terah,* who, himself not faithful, for he served
other gods, Josh. xxiv. 2, was the father of him who
both was faithful, and is called, ' The Father of the
Faithful,' Abraham, the tenth from Noah, as he was
the tenth from Adam.
Terah had three sons, Haran, Nahor, and Abram ;
for so is the right order of their births. Haran, who
was much elder than his brothers, dying before his fa-
ther, left one son, named Lot, and two daughters,
whereof one was named Milcah, and the other Iscah,
both married to. their uncles; Milcah to Nahor, so
says the text, Gen. x. 29 ; and Iscah to Abram, as the
Jews deliver, who will have her to be called Sarai,
for her beauty and housewifery.
While Abram yet lived with his father Terah in
Mesopotamia, the God of glory appeared to him, (so
Stephen briefly relates the matter before the council,
Acts vii.) and said unto him, 4 Get thee out of thy
country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land
which I shall shew thee.' Moses adds, the blessing
annexed to the command, viz. ' And I will make of
thee a great nation,' Gen. xii. 2, 3. Whereupon Te-
rah, understanding that God had appeared to his son
Abram, and commanded him to remove from thence,
and probably drawn by the proposed blessing, consent-
ed to go with him and his wife ; and taking Lot along
with them, they departed from Ur in ChaTdea, in-
tending to travel into the land of Canaan. But in
their way coming to Haran, which Stephen calls Char-
ran, Acts vii, they took up their abode there for a
while : in which time Terah died, being two hundred
and five years old.
After Terah's death, Abram being now seventy and
five y-ars of age,f and mindful of God's command,
* A M. 1873. J A. M. 2033.
G2 SACRED iIISTr-Rf. PART I.
departed from Haran ; and with Sarai his wife, and
his cousin Lot, and all their substance that they had
gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran,
by which some understand the persons they had gain-
ed over to the true religion, pursued their journey,
until they came into tfhe land of Canaan, which was
the country God had directed him to.
Being com e into the land, and having passed through
some parts of it, the Lord appeared again unto him,
and made, if I may so speak, a deed of gift cf that
land unto Abram's seed long before he had seed, for
Sarai his wife was barren, and when it was possessed
by other people ; for the Canaanite was then in the
land, ver. 6. However, Abram, to shew hh faith and
thankfulness, worshipped the Lord, which is signified
by his building an altar, in that place, where the Lord
had appeared, and made so gracious a promise to him.
Long he had not been in C?maan, ere he was fain to
pluck up his stakes, and remove his tent again ; for
there arose a grievous famine in the land. This oblig-
ed him for the preservation of himself and his family,
to seek relief elsewhere ; and Egypt lying near to that
part of Canaan where he had settled, and j^eing a fruit-
ful country, he determined to travel thither, and so-
journ there a while.
When he was come upon the borders of Egypt, and
had observed the difference, in point of comeliness,
betwixt his own fair wife and the Egyptian women, a
fear began to enter him, that his wile's beauty would
endanger his safet^. He concluded that so fair a
woman, so eminently excelling the women of that
place, would soon be taken notice of, and as soon be
desired. And because the world was not then grown
to that height of dissoluteness, as lightly to invade the
marriage bed, but nuptial ties were held too sacred to
be violated, his fear 'suggested to his apprehension,
that if they understood Sarai was his wife, they would
kill him, that they might come to the enjoyment of her,
without the imputation of adultery ; a crime reputed,
in that martial age, more heinous than murder.
PART. I. SACRED HISTORY. 33
To prevent this danger, he opened his mind to his
wife ; and laying the ground of his fears upon her
beauty, he begged her to say she was his sister, that
she might not be taken for his wife : by which means
he might not only escape the apprehended danger, but
also might fare the better for her sake. Here nature
shewed her utmost strength in this great good man.
The principle of self-preservation had wrought so pow-
erfully on him, and so wholly possessed his mind, that
he seems not to have considered, or duly to have re-
garded, his wife's chastity and his own honour.
His fear was not groundless, nor was he deceived in
his apprehension ; for no sooner was he come into
Egypt, but the Egyptians had cast a longing eye upon
his fair wife. Pharaoh's courtiers saw her, commend-
ed her to their king, and to court she was forthwith
brought. Abram called her sister ; the king there-
upon took her into his house, and intreated him well
for her sake, bestowing great presents upon him.
Eut watchful Providence would not suffer the great
patriarch's bed to be defiled ; wherefore the Lord
plagued Pharaoh and his house, probably by inflicting
some sudden sickness, or bodily infirmity upon them ;
whereby both their desire towards the woman was pro-
bably restrained, and they made sensible that she was
a married wife. Wherefore Pharaoh, calling Abram
to him, and laying the blame upon him for misleading
him, by not telling him she was his wife, but calling
her sister, he in displeasure bid him take his wife
and be gone ; commanding his servants also to send
him and his wife away : yet withal to take care that
nothing were detained from him, but that he should
take with him all that he had.
This accident, it is probable, occasioned Abram to
leave Egypt sooner than otherwise he would have
done ; for the next account of him is, that he went up
out of Egypt, he and his wife, and all that he had, and
Lot with him, into the south : and being got into Ca-
naan again, he travelled on to Bethel, to the place
where he had made an altar to the Lord before he
went into Egypt, and there he worshipped Gad.
34 SACRED HISTORY. PART. I.
Abram was now, through the blessing of God, grown
very rich, not in cattle only, but in silver and gold also.
His cousin Lot also had flocks, and herds, and tents ;
which implies he had a family and substance of his
own, distinct from that of Abram. And their families
being large, and their necks great, they were ready to
overcharge the place, and want meat for their cattle ;
which might probably be the more scarce, partly by
reason of the late famine there, and partly also, for
that the Canaanites, and the Perizzites did then dwell
in the land, and it is likely would possess the more
fruitful parts of the country. The scarcity of provi-
sions and pasturage occasioned strife between the
herdmen of Abram's cattle, and the herdmen of Lot's
cattle, and that troubled Abram : who, fearing lest
this contention among the servants, if nottimely sup-
pressed, might rise higher, to the endangering a breach
of friendship betwixt his kinsman and him, took an
opportunity to speak with his cousin Lot about it, and
and in soft and mild terms said unto him, ' Let there
be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and be-
tween my herdmen and thy herdmen ; for we are bre-
thren.' So the ancients reputed, and called those that
sprang from one common root, though not in a direct
line begotten by one and the same father ; in which
respect these were brethren in a natural relation ; as
with respect to religion, and the worship of the true
God, they were brethren also in a spiritual relation :
both which would suffer, if they should suffer conten-
tion, especially about the low things of this world, to
spring up and get head between them or their depen-
dants. 0
Abram therefore, to prevent the worst, proposes
parting,* seeing their substance was grown so great,
that they could not with conveniency, Bnd needful ac-
commodations, dwell any longer together ; and though
himself was, in all respects, the greater and better
man, yet (which shows it is not beneath greatness for
a superior to condescend to an inferior) he gave his
f. A, M. 20 36,
PART. I. SACRED HISTORY. 55
couzin Lot the offer, to make his choice in what part
of the land he would settle, himself being content to
take what the other should leave. Lot, not minding
to lose such an advantage, having with his eye survey-
ed the country, chose for himself all the plain of Jor-
dan, which he had observed to be every where well
watered, and very fertile. Thus, having parted by
agreement, Lot journies eastward, and settles in the
plain of Jordan, pitching his tent towards Sodom ;
the inhabitants of which place were, in that wicked
age, some of the most wicked.
Abram remained still in the land of Canaan ; and af-
ter Lot was gone from him, the Lord appeared again
to him, and renewed to him the gift of that land to
him and to his seed for ever, but in reversion ; which
deed of gift, penned, if I may so speak, by God him-
self, deserves, for the extraordinary rareness of it, to
be here explained, as it stands inrolled in the best of
records, the Holy Scriptures, thus : ' Lift up now
thine eyes,' said Godto Abram, c and look from the place
where thou art, northward, and southward, and east-
ward, and westward ; for all the land which thou seest,
to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever. And
I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth ; so that
if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall
thy seed also be numbered. Arise, walk through the
land, in the length of it, and in the breadth of it ; for
I will give it unto thee.' Abram, thereupon removing
his tent, went and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which
is in Hebron, and there built an altar unto the Lord :
which is a periphrasis of worshipping him.
Som^ time after this, fell out that memorable battle
fought by four kings against five ; the first pitched
field of which we have any account in story. The oc-
casion of which was this :
Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, had held five petty
kings in a tributary subjection to him for divers years ;
of which number the king of Sodom was one. At
r.tly rebelled against him* ; whereupon
* A. M. 2090.
36 SACRED HISTORY. ?ART. I.
he, with three other kings who were his allies, made
war upon them, to reduce them to their former obedi*
ence ; and they, with united forces, resolved to try it
out in a pitched field. Wherefore having drawn their
armies into the vale of Siddim, which after the de-
struction of Sodom was called the Salt Sea, theyjoin-
ed the battle there. The issue was, that the four
kings prevailing, the five were put to flight.
The vale of Siddim, where the battle was fought,
had in it many pits, out of which had been digged slime,
(a kind of clammy earth called bitumen, very good to
make mortar with) and the kings of Sodom and Go-
morrah, in their flight, are said to have fallen there ;
whether entangled amongst those pits, they were over-,
taken and slain, or whether falling into some of those
pits, they there hid and secured themselves till the
pursuit was over, is not expressed. We read (ver.
17) that the king of Sodom went out to meet Abram
very soon after, and treated with him about the spoils ;
which might induce one to think, that it was the same
king, and not a new one.
However, after the field was fought, the victors,
sacking the city of Sodom and Gomorrah, carried a-
way all the goods, provisions, and prisoners : amongst
whom was Abram's cousin Lot, who by this time
was got into Sodom. We left him before upon his
parting from his uncle, having his tent pitched only
towards Sodom ; but now he was gone to dwell in So-
dom, and with the Sodomites was led away captive :
so hazardous a thing it is to approach the neighbour-
hood of wicked men.
Amongst those that escaped, one came and brought
the news of this overthrow to Abram, who then dwelt
in the plain belonging to Mam re the Amorite, who,
with his two brothers, Eshcol and Aner, were in
league with Abram. Whereupon, Abram understand-
ing that his cousin Lot was taken captive, mustered
his men, who were in number three hundred and
eighteen, born in his own house ; and having in-
structed them of the justness of the cause he went
¥ART I. SACRED HISTORY. 49
with the wicked, and for their sakes : for Abraham's
argument was right and forcible, when he said ' To
slay the righteous with the wicked, and that the righ-
teous should be as the wicked, or fare no better than
the wicked, that be far from thee. Shall not the Judge
of all the earth do right ?' Gen. xviii. 25.
As earnest as Lot was to get into Zoar, he did not
care to stay long there. After the other cities of the
plain were destroyed, he was afraid, it seems, to dwell
in Zoar ; wherefore he went and dwelt in a cave in the
mountains to which he was first directed, having only
his two daughters with him. And here the greatest
of mischiefs befel him ; for his daughters, having lost
in Sodom their espoused husbands, and despairing of
ever having any others, as thinking, perhaps, that all
mankind were destroyed in the late conflagration, but
their father and themselves ; at least, that no man
would ever be likely to find them out in their solitary
retirement in the cave, complotted how to betray their
innocent father.
They pretended a care to preserve a seed of their
father ; as if they were afraid, that if they did not,
mankind would be extinct in him. But they had lived
in Sodom, and it is doubtful had learned too much of
the manners of that place ; and if the men they were
betrothed to were of the breed of Sodom, which there
is great reason to suppose, it argues a disposition hi
them to the licentiousness of the place, that would
contract marriage with such. However, having an
unnatural design upon their father, and knowing they
could never draw the good man to commit so great a
wickedness so long as he retained the use of his un-
derstaflding, they contrive to divest him of his judici-
ous sense, though not of his natural strength or ability.
1, :e eldest daughter therefore having represented
to her sister the condition they were in, proposed the
expedient to her thus : 4 Come, said she, let us make
our father drink wine, and then we will lie with him,
that we may preserve seed of our father.' Accord-
vol. i. £
£0 SACRED HISTORY. PART. I.
ingly, having sufficiently dosed the old man that even-
ing with wine, and put him to bed, his eldest daughter
went to bed to him ; and having obtained her end of
him, rose again, he not perceiving when she lay down,
or when she arose. Next day she acquainted her sis-
ter how the project had succeeded, and advised her to
deal with their father in like manner the next night.
Accordingly, the old man being again ensnared with
wine, the jTounger daughter went to bed to him ; and
her end being also answered, she rose again too undis-
covered. Thus were Lot's two daughters with child
by their father and had each of them a son from that
incestuous congress ;* to each of which sons Lot was
both father and grandfather. But as he was the un-
witting instrument of their generation, so when they
were born, I do not find he took so much notice of
them as to give them their names, but their mothers
named them, the elder calling her son Moab, and the
younger her son Ben-ammi ; both mischievous ene-
mies in after times to Israel, especially the Moabites,
whose women, in Balak's time, through the counsel of
Balaam, betrayed many of the Israelites into idolatry
and whoredom, which brought a great plague upon
Israel.
What became of Lot afterwards, the Holy Scripture
doth not inform us ; but we find that the posterity of
these two sons of his, the Moabites and the Ammon-
ites, were provided for by God, who helped the Moa-
bites to conquer the Emims, and to possess their land,
and the Ammonites to subdue the Zamzummims, and
succeed them in theirs ; and would not suffer the peo-
ple of Israel, when they marched through the wilder-
ness towards the land of Canaan, to dispossess either
the Moabites or the Ammonites, or to fight with them,
as will appear in the process of the history whicl) now
leads us back again to Abraham,
He having abode in the plain of Mamre, till he had
seen the destruction of Sodom, removed soon after
* A. M. 2103.
PART. T. SACRED HISTORY. 51
from thence more southwardly, and sojourned in
Gerar, the chief city of the Philistines.
Here again, fearing lest he should suffer for the sake
of Sarah, if it should be known that she was his wife,
he had recourse to his former politic contrivance, and
by agreement between them he called her sister, and
she him brother.
The king of Gerar, whose title was Abimelech, as
that of the Egyptian king's was Pharaoh, and that of
the Roman emperor's Caesar, supposing her to be no
other than Abraham's sister, took her to him, intend-
ing to make her his wife. Sure she must carry her
years well, who, at ninety years of age, should be de-
sired by a king. But so it seems it was ; and Abra-
ham, prompted by his fear, this second time exposed
his own and his wife's honour to save his life, which
he thought in danger.
But it maybe supposed, that Sarah had by this time
conceived that promised seed, which was to be Abra-
ham's heir; of which, as well as of Abraham his
friend, God had an especial care. Wherefore the
Lord, having restrained Abimelech from touching her,
did in a dream by night make him understand, that
Sarah was Abraham's wife, charging him, on pain of
death, forthwith to restore her safely to him. Abime-
lech therefore, excusing himself to God, and expostu-
lating the matter with Abraham, returned him his
wife safely again, with a royal present to him, and a
close check upon her, for having had no more regard
to her own and her husband's honour. Then, upon
Abraham's prayer to God, the Lord healed Abimelech,
taking off the disability by which he had restrained
him from touching Sarah ; and also restored to his
wife and women their former fertility, which on that
occasion he had before stopped.
It was not long after this, before, the time appointed
being come, Sarah was brought to bed of a son, which
Abraham, according as God had before directed,
Gen. xvii. 19, called Isaac ,* which signifies laughter •
* A. M. 2108.
I
52 SACRED HISTORY. TART I.
and when he was eight days old he circumcised him,
as God commanded, chap. xvii. 12. And now Sarah
could laugh, not in distrust, as before, chap, xviii. 12,
but with hearty joy.
But what was Sarah's joy was Hagar' s sorrow. Her
son Ishmael was fourteen years old when Isaac was
born ; and no doubt she had long lived in hope that he
should have been Abraham's heir, and had infused that
notion into her son, little thinking that her old mistress
should have brought a boy at last to frustrate both their
hopes. The disappointment must needs be great, and
probably the resentment answerable, which in a while
broke forth ; for after Isaac was weaned, and grown
a little up, his watchful mother caught Ishmael mock-
ing him. And there is reason to suppose, both that
this mockage had relation to his heirship, Ishmael
scorning that such a youngster, in comparison of him-
self, should take the inheritance from him, and derid-
ing him on that account, and that Hagar, Ishmael's
mother, did countenance him at least therein, if she
had not also tutored him to it; for she was to be cast
out as well as he, which would not have been, if she
had not been faulty. And we may remember, that
formerly, as soon as she found she had conceived, she
despised her mistress, chap. xvi. 4, which shews she
was of a haughty temper.
Sarah could by no means brook that her bond-wo-
man's boy should make sport with her son ; therefore
?he was urgent with her husband, to turn them, both
mother and son, out of doors, putting him in mind,
that the bond-woman's son was not to be heir with her
son Isaac. This was a hard pinch upon Abraham ;
for he loved his son Ishmael very much. But God
made it easy to him, by counselling him to answer his
wife's request, confirming what she had said, viz. that
Isaac was to be his heir ; and yet assuring him that he
would take care of Ishmael for his sake, and would
make a nation of him, because he was his seed.
Abraham, thus strengthened, got up betimes next
morning ; and lading Hagar with provisions, bread,
PART I. SACRED HI3T0RY. 53
and a bottle of water, gave her the 003/, and sent her
away.
She going into the wilderness, which was afterwards
called Beer-sheba,* wandered to and fro there until the
water was spent; and seeing no hopes of relief, she
concluded the lad would die with thirst ; wherefore
laying him under one of the shrubs (a low shady tree)
she sat down herself at a little distance off, that she
might not see him die : and when the child cried, and
she wept, the angel of God called out of heaven to her,
and to comfort her, bid her not fear, for God had
heard the voice of the lad, and would make him a
great nation. Then being directed to a well of water,
she gave the lad drink, which refreshed him ; and God
provided for him. And they took up their abode in
the wilderness of Paran, where he became an archer ;
by which employment, it is probable, he might get
provisions for the sustenance of his mother and him-
self. And when he was grown to man's estate, his
mother being herself an Egyptian, took him a wife out
of the land of Egypt.
Meanwhile God being with Abraham, and visibly
blessing him in all his undertakings, Abimelech king
of Gerar being sensible thereof, took Phicol the ge-
neral of his host with him, and came to Abraham, to
enter into a strict league of friendship with him ; for
the king, observing how greatly Abraham prospered,
was afraid, lest in time to come, as Abraham should
grow more wealthy and powerful, he might attempt
something to the prejudice of him or his successors in
the government. Wherefore putting him in mind of
the kindnesses he had shewed him since he came to
sojourn in that land, (which see in Gen. xx. 14, 15, 16.)
he desired Abraham to enter into a covenant with him,
that he would not deal falsely with him, nor with his
posterity ; but would do unto him, and to the land
in which he had been entertained, according to the
kindness he had received from him.
* A. M. 2113.
E 2
54 SACRED HISTORY. PART. I.
This covenant he required him to confirm by an
oath, which Abraham at his request did ; and this
being the first mention we have in story of an oath, or
swearing, from the creation of man to that time, it is
hence observable, that swearing was introduced by an
heathen. The first that we read did ever urge an oath
was a king of the Philistines.
The league thus made and confirmed between them,
and a little difference composed about a well of water
which Abraham had digged, and Abimelech' s ser-
vants, without their master's knowledge, had forcibly
taken from him, (which being now restored to Abra-
ham, was thereupon called Beer-sheba, that is, The
well of the Oath ; because there they made their co-
venant, and each of them confirmed it to the other by
oath) Abraham made a present to Abimelech of some
sheep and oxen ; and Abimelech with his general, tak-
ing their leave of him, returned home.
But Abraham intending to settle for some time in
that country, planted a grove near the well in Beer-
sheba, and there called on the name of the Lord, the
everlasting God. By which we may see how apt the
customs of the places we live in, and of the people
we converse with, are to steal and prevail even upon
good men. By an heathen king, Abraham was just
before drawn to swear ; and from the heathen's prac-
tice he now plants a grove to perform his devotions in.
For that it was the custom of the heathen to plant
groves, and therein set their idols and altars, will ap-
pear from the command afterwards giving to Israel to
destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down
their groves, Exod. xxxiv. 13, and to burn their
groves with fire, Deut. xii. 3, and they were for-
bidden to plant any grove themselves to perform
devotions in, Deut. xvi. 21. But when the !:ings
of Israel departed from God, they set up groves ; and
it was one of king Arab's provoking sins, that he made
a grove, 1 Kings xvi. 33. But though Abraham here-
in followed the custom of the Philistines amongst
whom he lived, yet the object of his worship was the
true God, Jehovah, the everlasting God.
PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 55
Now came Abraham's greatest trial.* God, to
prove his faithfulness, commands him to take his son,
his only son now that Ishmael was gone, his son
Isaac, the son of his joy, whom he loved so dearly,
who had been conceived beyond the course of nature,
and in whom God had promised that all the nations of
the earth should be blessed ; and to offer him for a
burnt offering. Could any thing have been harder I
But. to make it easier, God sends him to do it in the
land of Moriah, which signifies The Fear of God....
No place could have been more fit to bring man's will
into a submissive compliance with the will of God....
Abraham, being well acquainted with the voice of the
Lord, neither disputes nor delays ; but early in the
morning set forward on his journey, accompanied only
with his son Isaac, and attended with two servants, who
had an ass to carry the wood, and other instruments
for the sacrifice, as well as provisions for themselves,
having three days journey to go. For they went from
the land of the Philistines about Gerar, and were to
go into the land of Canaan, to the place where Jeru-
salem afterwards stood ; for mount Moriah, where he
was to offer his son, stood in Jerusalem, and Solomon
built the temple upon it, where God commanded the
offerings afterwards to be made, 2 Chron. iii. 1.
Having travelled two days, on the third they came
within sight of the place ; whereupon Abraham order-
ed his servants to tarry there with the ass, probably to
prevent any disturbance they might give him, if they
should see him go to kill his son, telling them he and
his son would go thither to worship, and come to them
again. From which words, compared with what the
apostle says of him, that he accounted God was able
to raise Isaac up, even from the dead, Heb. xi. 19,
may be gathered, that Abraham had so steady a faith
in God's power, that though he neither knew, nor ex-
pected any other, but that Isaac should certainly have
been slain ; yet he believed that God, who had so mi-
raculously given him, and promised to make him afa-
* A, M. 2145.
55 SACRED HISTORY. PART J.
ther of many nations, would, to make good his promise,
restore him to life again.
Abraham therefore laid the wood of the burnt offer-
ing on Isaac's shoulder, and himself carrying the fire
and the knife, they two went out together." Little did
Isaac yet think what he was going about ; so that, as he
was herein a type of the great offering, it might have
been now said of him, as was afterwards said of Christ,
he was led as a lamb to the slaughter. As thus they
walked together, he very innocently said to his father,
* Behold the fire and the wood; but where is the lamb
for a burnt-offering V To which his father propheti-
cally replied, 4 My son, God will provide himself a
lamb for a burnt-offering.'
Being come at length to the place which God had
told him of, Abraham built an altar there, and having
laid the wood in order, bound Isaac his son, and laid
him upon the altar upon the wood. Isaac, though ac-
cording to the manner of speaking then used he was
all along hitherto called a lad, is gene rally held to have
been at that time at least three and thirty years of age,
but By this computation should be seven and thirty, so
that he was capable to have made resistance ; but he
quietly submitted, whether being then at last made
acquainted by his father with God's command, or
from a natural subjection yielding implicity to what-
soever his father would do with him.
Now was Abraham's hand stretched forth, with the
knife in it, ready to give the fatal stroke ; when the
angel of the Lord hastily called unto him out of hea-
ven, and with a reduplication of his name, charged
him not to lay his hand upon the lad to do him any
harm ; adding, 4 For now I know that thou fearest
God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only-
son, from me.'
Abraham, hearing this voice, as he apprehended,
behind him, turns about, and then sees a ram caught
in a thicket by the horns, which he took and offered
up for a burnt-offering in the stead of his son, and cal-
led the place Jehovah-Jireth, which signifieth, The
PART. I. SACRED HISTORY. 57
Lord will see or provide ; because the Lord, as Abra-
ham had foretold he would, had provided himself a
lamb for a burnt offering.
Hence arose a proverbial speech, in use long after ;
that when any one was entangled in an intricate matter,
wherein he could not see his way clear, but must rely
upon Providence, he would say, k Well ! in the mount
of the Lord, the Lord will provide.'
Upon this complete obedience of Abraham's, it
pleased the Lord to renew his promise to Abraham
with great amplifications, and confirm it to him by
oath ; whereupon Abraham returning with his soil
Isaac to his servants, they travelled back again to
Beer-sheba, the place at that time of Abraham's habi-
tation. ,
How long after this he abode at Beer-sheba doth not
appear, bat it was not long before we find hi mat Kiriath-
arba (afterwards called Hebron) in the land of Ca-
naan ; for there Sarah his wife died, in the one hun-
dreth and seven and twentieth year of her age, which
must be the seven and thirtieth of Isaac's ; for she was
ninety when he was born, Gen. xvii. 17.
Abraham, haying mourned for his wife, addressed
himself to the sons of Heth, that is, the Hittites, who
being descended from Heth the son of Canaan, and
grandson of cursed Ham, Gen. x. 6, 15, did then pos-
sess that region, to obtain from them a burying-place
to bury his dead in. They, not understanding his in-
tent, with great courtesy answered him, 4 In the choice
of our sepulchres bury thy dead ; none of us shall
withhold from thee his sepulchre.'
This would not do Abraham's business ; he knew
the Lord had called him forth from his idolatrous kin-
dred, and from his father's house, Gen. xii. 1, and had
given him the covenant of circumcision, chap. xvii.
9, 10, &c. whereby he had distinguished him and his
seed from all other people ; and that therefore it was
not lawful for him to mix with any of the nations which
did not worship the true God, and that truly. As
therefore he afterwards took especial care that his son
58 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
might not marry with any of the daughters of the Ca-
naanites ; so now he was wary not to bury his dead
promiscuously amongst theirs. He proposed there-
fore to buy a piece of ground of them for a peculiar
place of sepulture for him and his family, and desired
them to entreat Ephron their prince to sell him the
cave of Machpelah, some little piece of ground that
lay in the end of a field of Ephron's, letting them know
he would give him for it as much as it was worth.
Ephron, it seems, though probably Abraham did not
know it, was then present in the company ; and having
heard Abraham's proposal, very generously offered to
give not only the cave, but the whole field also, that
he might bury his dead without delay. But Abraham,
not willing to come under such an obligation, or to
have a precarious sepulchre, addressing himself then
personally to prince Ephron, entreated him to sell him
a piece of the field, and take money for it, and then he
would bury his dead there. Ephron thereupon told
him that the land was worth four hundred shekels of
silver ; but between persons of their rank he accounted
that but a small matter, and therefore wished him not
to make any more words about it, but accept the lund,
and bury his dead there without more ado.
Supposing the shekel here mentioned to be the com-
mon shekel, as being used before the law, and in a civil,
not sacred case, it valued of our English money one
shilling and three-pence. After which rate the four
hundred shekels would amount to five and twenty
pounds sterling.
Abraham, having got » price of the field, stood not
to barter, or beat down the price ; but forthwith paid
the money to Ephron by weight. For in those early
ages of the world, as they had money in bullion un-
stamped, so it passed by weight, rather than by tale ;
and a shekel had its name from shakel, which signifies
to weigh, or put in the balance, says Godwyn, in his
Moses and Aaron, 1. 6. c. 10.
Upon payment of the money, the field of Ephron,
and the cave that was in it, well abutted and bounded
PART. I. SACHXD HISTORY. 59
with the mounds and fences, and the trees that were
therein, and all and singular the hereditaments and
appurtenances, were firmly conveyed and made sure
to Abraham, and to his heirs forever in fee-simple ;
and then, and not till then, did Abraham bury his wife
there.
About three years after this, Abraham, being an
hundred and forty years old, was desirous to see his
son Isaac, who was now forty years of age, married,
and settled in the world before himself died ;* where-
fore calling his eldest servant to him, who was the
steward over his house and whole estate, he gave him
a strict charge, that he should not take a wife for his
son Isaac of the daughters of the Canaanites, but
should go into his (Abraham's) own country, and
from thence bring a wife out of his own kindred for
him ; and to lay the greater bond upon his servant, he
required him to take a solemn oath of fidelity to him
in this case, the ceremony whereof was then perform-
ed, by the servant's putting his hand under his mas-
ter's thigh ; which, with some conditional and neces-
sary cautions, he did.
Then having received his master's instructions and
charge, he set forward with a handsome retinue of
servants and camels, befitting his master's state, and
the business he went about, and he directed his course
to Haran, the city of Nahor, in Mesopotamia ; for
Abraham had heard, some time before, that his wife's
sister Milcah, who was married to his brother Nahor,
had borne him several children, one of which, named
Bethuel, had a daughter named Rebekah, Gen. xxii.
20, &c.
The servant being come to Haran, caused his camels
to rest themselves by a well of water without the city,
it being evening time ; about which time it was usual
for the women to come forth of the city to draw water
at that well.
Meantime he who had been religiously brought up
and instructed by his master Abraham in the fear of
* A. M. 2148-
60 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
God, and knew of how great a concern the business he
went about was, had his mind retired and inwardly
exercised in prayer to God, that ' the Lord, the God
of his master Abraham, would speed his journey, and
shew kindness to his master Abraham in giving him
good success.' And being fearful lest in a matter of
so great moment he should mistake the person, and so
not make a right choice of a wife for his young mas-
ter, he humbly besought the Lord to direct him by
this sign, that when the city damsels should come out
to draw water ' she of them all, who, upon his re-
questing her to let him drink out of her pitcher,
should offer him to drink, and should say, I will give
thy camels drink also, the same should be she whom
the Lord had prepared and appointed for his servant
Isaac.'
Scarce had he finished this inward request to the
Lord (for inward it seems it was, ver, 45.) when be-
hold Rebekah, Bethuel's fair daughter, came forth,
with her pitcher or water-tankard on her shoulder, to
fetch water.
Great, surely, was the simplicity and humility of
those early ages, when persons of the upper rank, and
of the female sex too, did not disdain to be employed
in such low, but necessary offices. Thus, in the fol-
lowing age, Jacob found his cousin Rachel following
and watering her father Laban's sheep, And for some
ages after that, the seven daughters of Jethro, who
was a prince, as well as priest of Midian, kept their
father's flock, and used to draw water, and fill the
troughs to water the flocks in,
Though Abraham was a mighty prince, (so the sons
of Heth acknowledged, Gen. xxiii. 7.) yet his steward
did not think Rebekah every whit the unfitter to make
a wife for his master's son and heir, for her coming
with her pitcher on her shoulder to draw and carry
water.
Rebekah was a chaste virgin, and very beautiful,
and Abraham's servant had soon his eye upon her,
and diligently watched her motion. And when, hav-
PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 6t
ing been down at the well, she had filled her pitcher,
and was come up again, he ran to meet her, and said,
* Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water out of thy
pitcher.' She readily answered, drink, my lord ; and
nimbly letting her pitcher down upon her hand, gave
him drink ; and withal told him, she would draw wa-
ter for his camels also ; which he, that he might be
fully confirmed by the sign he had desired, not refus-
ing, she went to the well again, and drew for all his
camels.
Meanwhile the man, attentively considering her,
said nothing, but weighed the matter, to see whether
she had fully answered the sign he had desired ; and
being satisfied that the Lord had thus far prospered
his journey, so soon as the camels had done drinking,
he presented her with a jewel for her head, and a pair
of bracelets for her hands, of ten shekels weight of
gold, which, at fifteen shillings the shekel, would
amount to seven pounds ten shillings sterling.
He asked her also whose daughter she was, and
whether there was room in her father's house for him
and his company to lodge in. She told him she was the
daughter of Bethuel, the son of Nahor by Milcah ;
and withal assured him, that they had both room and
accommodations for him and his camels. He said no
more to her ; but being deeply affected with a sense of
the goodness of the Lord, in guiding him so directly to
the house of his master's brethren, bowed down his
head, and worshipped the Lord, and breaking forth in
praises to the Lord, said, ' Blessed be the Lord God
of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute
my master of his mercy and his truth.'
While he was thus meditating on the kindness of
the Lord, the damsel ran home, and told her relations
what she had met with. She had a brother named
Laban, who took the care of his father's business.
He, when he had seen the bracelets on his si
hands, and heard from her the account of what the
man had said to her, immediately ran down to the
VOL. I. f
62 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
well ; and saluting the man in the stile of, ' Thou
blessed of the Lord,' an usual form of salutation in
those times to such as they designed to shew more
than ordinary respect to, invited him in, telling him
there was preparation made for him and his camels.
The man thereupon went in ; and after his camels had
been taken care of, and water brought for him and his
men to wash their feet, supper being got ready, he was
invited to eat. But he, intent on the business he came
about, said, 4 1 will not eat, until I have told mine
errand ;' thereby giving a good example of faithful-
ness and diligence in a servant. Whereupon being
bid to speak on, he said :
4 I am Abraham's servant ; and the Lord hath bles-
sed my master greatly, and he is become great.' Then
having given a general account of his master's estate,
he added : 4 And Sarah my master's wife bare a son
to my master when she was old, unto whom he hath
given all that he hath. And my master, said he, made
me swear, that I should not take a wife to his son of
the daughters of the Canaanites ; but should go unto
his father's house, and to his kindred, and take a wife
unto his son.' Then going on, he related to them the
whole process of his journey, the manner of his meet-
ing with Rebekah, and the divine guidance he had
therein ; concluding thus : c And now if ye will deal
kindly and truly with my master, tell me ; and if not,
tell me, that I may turn to the right hand, or to the
left ;' meaning, that they should not hold him in hand,
but let him know their minds, whether they would be-
stow Rebekah on his master's son, or not; that if not,
he might seek elsewhere.
Bethuel is supposed either to have been superannu-
ated, or to labour under some bodily infirmity, which
rendered him less capable of managing the affairs of his
family ; which may somewhat excuse his son Laban's
forwardness : for it is said, Laban and Bethuel answer-
ed and said, ' The thing proceedeth from the Lord ;
we cannot say any thing to it. Ask Rebekah herself:
If she consent, take her, and let her be thy master's
son's wife.'
PART I, SACRED HISTORY. 63
In this we have a twofold example ; one for wooers,
the other for parents. That which relates to wooers is,
to ask and obtain the consent of parents, or other near
relations first, before they propose the matter to the
woman herself. That which relates to parents is, not
to compel a child to match, either by threats, or im-
portunate persuasion ; but having fairly opened the
case, leave to the child a free liberty to consent or not,
as affection or judgment, which ought to go together,
shall incline.
No sooner had the servant received Bethuel's an-
swer, but forthwith he makes his acknowledgment in
a return of thanks to the Lord. Then making his
presents, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and
raiment to Rebekah, with other precious things to
her brother and mother, they went all to supper, and
then to bed.
Next morning, as soon as they were up, he desires
them to dispatch him back to his master. The bro-
ther and mother urge delay, no mention of the father,
either here or with the presents ; which confirms the
supposition, that he did not concern himself in busi-
ness, but had turned all over to his wife and son.
They were loth to part with Rebekah so soon ;
would have her tarry with them a while ; but he, like
a faithful and diligent servant, was for hastening home
Avith her. 4 Hinder me not, said he, seeing the Lord
hath prospered my way ; send me away, that I may
go to my master.'
Thereupon they refer the matter to Rebekah her-
self. ' We will call the damsel, said they, and inquire
at her mouth.' She being called and asked, * Wilt
thou go with this man :' readily answered, c I will go.'
Wherein she is not to be taxed with immodesty or over
forwardness, since there is no ground to doubt but she,
as well as her relations, had a sense that the thing was
of the Lord.
The scale thus turned for going, by her consent
they send her away with Abraham's servant, having
her nurse, whose name was Deborah, Gen. xxiii. 6,
64 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
and servant-maids to attend her. But they parted not
until they had blessed her ; praying that she might be
fruitful, and that her offspring might have dominion
over their enemies.
It so fell out, or rather was ordered by Providence,
that Isaac, walking out in the evening to meditate on
the works and goodness of the Lord, saw his servants
^with tfie camels coming ; whereupon he went out to
meet them. And Rebekah having espied him at some
distance, and asked the steward who he was, being in-
formed that it was his master, alighted from the camel
on which she rode, and covered herself with a veil ;
which, according to the custom of those countries,
was a token of subjection, which she thereby declared
she was willing to come under to him ; and it may
pass for a periphrasis of being a wife. Isaac received
Rebekah, brought her into his mother Sarah's tent,
who had been dead about three years ; and afterwards
he took her to be his wife, and loved her so well, that
his love to her wrought off the grief he had conceived
for the death of his mother.
Abraham had aa#ther wife, whose name was Ketu-
rah ; but whether he married her in Sarah's life-time,
or after, is a question. Broughton says, after Sarah's
death, Abraham marrieth Keturah ; but inasmuch as
she is expressly called his concubine, 1 Chron. i. 32,
a term not usually given to such second wives as suc-
ceed others, but to such as in the life-time of the first,
or former wife, are made partakers of the marriage-
bed ; and considering also, that Abraham, who was
an hundred and thirty-seven years of age when his
wife Sarah died, had no less than six children by Ke-
turah ; it gives occasion for others to suppose that he
married her in Sarah's life-time.
But whensoever he married her, the sons which
Abraham had by Keturah he gave portions to in his
own life-time, and sent them away eastward into the
east countrv ; which it is probable he did, that they
might not stand in Isaac's way, nor settle in any part
of the land of Canaan, which his seed by Isaac was to
PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 65
inherit, that so Israel might not be under any necessity
of dispossessing them, when in aftertimes they should
come to take possession of the promised land.
Isaac, though he had been now married almost twen-
ty years, had no issue by his fair wife. Wherefore he
entreated the Lord for her, because she was barren ;
and the Lord was entreated of him, and Rebekah con-
ceived. But when she felt the children struggling to-
gether within her, for she had twins, it somewhat start-
led her, and made her wonder what the meaning of it
might be ; wherefore she went to inquire of the Lord,
which in those times was usually done by consulting-
some prophet ; and her father-in-law Abraham being
a prophet, (so he is expressly called by God himself,
Gen. xx. 7.) and being then alive, it is most probable
that she inquired by him. However, the answer was,
' Two nations (that is, the heads of fathers of two na-
tions) are in thy womb, and two manner of people
shall be separated from thy bowels : the one of these
people shall be stronger than the other ; and the elder
shall serve the younger.' This did not hold of those,
two children in their own persons ; for the younger
stood always in fear of the eider. But in their pos-
terities it did ; and it was completed in David's time,
when he put garrisons throughout all Edom, (Esau is
Edom) Gen. xxxvi. 8, and all they of Edom became
David's servants, 2 Sam. viii. 14.
At the birth of these two children, the eldest came
forth red,* and hairy all over like a hairy garment,
and they called him Esau. His brother followed him
so close at the heels, that he took hold of his heel with
his hand ; and he was called Jacob. This was twenty
years after Isaac's marriage, and in the sixtieth year
of his age.
As they grew up, Esau spent his time much in the
fields, addicting himself to hunting ; and because he
furnished his father with venison, a sort of food he
delighted in, his father loved him best. But Jacob
* A. M. 2163.
F 2
SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
was a plain man, dwelling in tents, that is, minding
the family-business at home, and being by that means
more conversant with his mother, and ready at hand
to wait upon her, she loved him best.
Wheu the boys were about fifteen years of age, their
grandfather Abraham gave up the ghost,* being an
hundred seventy and five years old, and was buried by
his two sons, Isaac and Ishmael, in the cave of Mach-
pelah, in the field which he had purchased of the sons
of Heth, and where he had buried Sarah his wife
about forty years before.
Ishmael, Abraham's eldest son, though not his heir,
lived many years after this, till he had attained to be
an hundred and seven and thirty years old ; and then
leaving, as was predicted of him, Gen. xvii. 20,
twelve sons, who were all princes of nations, possessed
of towns and castles, he also gave up the ghost. And
although he had been such a wild man, that his hand
had been against every man, and every man's hand
against him, Gen. xvi. 12, yet he died at last in the
presence of his brethren, that is, a natural death, hav-
ing his family and relations about him.
But before that, Isaac's two sons, Esau and Jacob,
were grown up to man's estate ;j* and Esau one day,
having spent his spirits and strength in hunting, came
faint from the field, just as Jacob had sod some pottage
of lentiles (a kind of pulse somewhat like our vetches,
or coarsest sort of peas) and it was of a red colour....
Esau soon had his eager eye upon the broth ; and be-
ing greedy through hunger, desired his brother to feed
him with that red, red ; not knowing what else to call
it, and doubling the word through eagerness and haste,
which gave him the nick-name Edom, signifying not
only earthy, but blood-red ; and as a motive to per-
suade him, he told him he was faint.
Jacob, plain though he was, knew this was the time
to get a good bargain ; and therefore, 'intending to
work his own advantage from his brother's necessity,
asked him forthwith to sell him his birth-right.
* A. IvI. 23 83. ' t A. M. 2138.
PART I. SACRED HISTORY. Of
The birth-right, or right of primogeniture, had ma-
ny and great privileges annexed to it. The first-born
was consecrated to the Lord, Exod. xxii. 29, was
next in honour and dignity to the parents, Gen. xlix. 3,
had a double portion allotted to him, Deut. s::i. 17,
and succeeded in the government of the family or
kingdom, 2 Chron. xxi. 3, and therefore was a matter
of the highest regard.
Esau, either not considering, or not duly regarding
any of these, but consulting his own present need and
appetite only, slightingly answered, * Behold, I am
ready to die, and what good shall this birth-right do
me
>'
Jacob, finding him so indifferent, was willing to
bind the bargain, and make sure of it ; and therefore
presently urged him to confirm the birth-right to him
by an oath. Esau, as readily consenting, sold his
birth-right, with all those excellent privileges that de-
pend on it, to his brother Jacob for a mess of pottage ;
and this in Esau is called despising his birth-right.
After this, there was a famine in that part of the
land where Isaac lived ; which made him think of re-
moving. And while he deliberated whither to go, or
where to settle, whether in Egypt or among the Phi-
listines," the Lord appeared to him, and charged him
not to go down into Egypt, but to sojourn in that land
where he should direct him ; promising to be with him
and bless him, and assuring him that he would give all
those countries to him and his seed, in performance of
the oath which he had sworn unto Abraham his father ;
and that he would cause his seed to multiply as the
stars of heaven, and all nations to account themselves
blessed therein, because of the faith and obedience of
Abraham. •
Isaac, therefore, by divine direction, went to Abime-
lech king of the Philistines, and dwelt, as his father
had formerly done, at Gerar. And here the same
temptation attended him, that attended his father in
the same place before.
63 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
Rebekah was very beautiful, and Isaac was afraid
the Philistines would kill him for her sake. He there-
fore, when they asked him what she was to him, not
daring to own her for his wife, told them she was his
sister ; which was then a common appellation amongst
kindred in almost any degree. But as watchful Provi-
dence prevented her being then taken from him ; so
sometime after the king himself, looking out at a win-
dow, observed Isaac behaving himself so familiarly
towards Rebekah, as gave him ground to suspect she
was his wife, not his sister only. Wherefore calling
Isaac to him, he confidently told him she was certainly
his wife ; which Isaac not knowing how to deny, the
king first blamed him for laying such a snare before
his people, saying, c What is this thou hast done ? One
of the people might have chanced to have lain with
thy wife, and thou shouidest have brought guiltiness
upon us ;' and then gave a charge, on pain of death, to
all his people, that none of them should harm him or
his wife.
Isaac, by this protection encouraged to tarry there
longer, applied himself to husbandry ; and having
sowed some land in that country, reaped a crop the
same year of an hundred fold. By which, and the
Lord's continual blessing him, he increased to that de-
gree of wealth and greatness, being possessed of flocks
and herds, and having great store of servants, that the
Philistines began to envy him, and their king desired
him to remove from them ; for, said he, thou art much
mightier than we.
Isaac thereupon departed from thence ; and the ra-
ther, for that the Philistines, to make his stay uneasy
to him, had stopped up all the wells, which his father's
servants had digged in the time of his father's abode
there formerly, and had filled them with earth. Where-
fore removing into the valley of Gerar, he pitched hi3
tent, and dwelt there ; but before he went, he opened
again the wells of water that had been digged in his
father's time, and which the Philistines had stopped
FART t. 8ACRED HIST0RT. 6f
up after his father's death, calling them by the names
which his father had given them.
Being thus settled in the valley, his servants digged
a well there, and found a spring of water that continu-
ally flowed. But when the herdsmen of Gerar knew
of it, they claimed the well, pretending it was theirs ;
and though Isaac's servants had both found it, and dig-
ged it, yet these herdsmen strove with them for it....
Wherefore Isaac called that well Esek, which signifies
contention ; and being a peaceable man, willing to live
quietly, he let that well go, and ordered his servants
to dig another. They did so ; and when they had
found water, the herdsmen strove for that too ; where-
upon iie called that well Sitnah, which signifies hatred.
From those two names we may observe, how apt con-
tention is to lead to hatred ; and thereupon take this
caution :
Seek peace, and prize it; but contention shun,
Lest Esek do at length to Sitnah run.
Weary of such quarrelsome neighbours, Isaac re-
moved further from them, and then digged another
well ; and because he enjoyed that without strife, he
called it Rehoboth, which signifies room; for now,
said he, the Lord hath made room for us, and we shall
be fruitful in the land.
Yet tarried he not long there, but went up from
thence to Beer-sheba ; where the Lord the same night
appearing to him, comforted and encouraged him, and
renewed his promise to him, to bless him, and to mul-
tiply his seed for his servant Abraham's sake.
Isaac therefore, building an altar there, worshipped
the Lord ; and because he designed to make some stay
there, his servants digged a well ; for in those hot and
dry countries water was much wanted.
Meanwhile Abimelech, king of the Philistines, re-
membering how unkindly he had dismissed Isaac, ver.
16, and what squabbles had afterwards happened be-
tween their servants striving for water, and not know-
70 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
ing how Isaac might resent it, thought it adviseable,
for preventing future dangers, to make a visit to Isaac,
and try if he could draw him into a league of amity
and firm friendship. Taking therefore Ahuzzath, one
of his friends, to be, if need were, a mediator be-
tween them, and Phichol, captain general of his
forces, he went to Isaac at Beer-sheba.
Isaac, that he might shew them he was sensible of
the injuries done him, and withal, not yet knowing the
intent of their coming, gave them at first but a cold
reception ; asking, wherefore they came to see him,
seeing they hated him, and had sent him away from
them ? They answered smoothly, 4 We saw certainly
that the Lord was with thee ; and we saidr let there be an
oath betwixt us and thee, and let us make a covenant
with thee, that thou wilt do us no hurt ; as (added they,
to smooth over the matter) we have done unto thee
nothing but good, and have sent thee away in peace;'
concluding with that kind and pleasing compellation,
* Thou blessed of the Lord.'
When Isaac understood the business they came
about, he, who was of a quiet and gentle temper, and
desirous of peace, (as having more cause to fear hurt
from them than they from him) entertained them cour-
teously and liberally ; and next morning betimes they
made a league, confirming it by mutual oath. After
which, he having accommodated them for their jour-
ney, they took their leave of him and departed.
The last we heard of Esau, was the selling of his
birth-right ;* the next we hear of him, is his grieving
his godly parents by his ungodly marriages. He was
now forty years of age ; and having never been good,
and now, since his slighting of his birth-right, grown
worse, though he could not be ignorant of the care his
grandfather took, that his father might not marry into
an idolatrous family ; yet nothing would serve his
turn, but to take two Hittites, Judith and Bashemath,
to be his wives.
* A. M. 22Q6.
FART I. SACRED HISTORY. 71
These Hittites descended from Heth, the son of
Canaan, and grandson of Ham, Gen. x. 5, 16, and Esau
must marry these Hittite women, either without the
knowledge and consent of his parents, which was bad ;
or against their express prohibition, which was worse.
However it was, these Hittite marriages were such a
grief of mind to Isaac and Rebekah that it is said to
be a bitterness of spirit unto them. And so indeed
must all such mungrel-marriages be to all godly pa-
rents.
Yet see how prevalent natural affection was with
this good man. For after this, when he was grown
old, and his sight was gone, he called his son Esau to
him ;* and putting him to consider that he was old,
and his life uncertain, wished him to take his bow and
arrows, and go hunt some venison, and make him a
savoury dish thereof, such as he knew he loved, and
bring it him, that he might eat thereof, and might
give him the blessing appendant to the birth-right be-
fore he died.
Thus good Isaac, overs waved by a fond affection to
a disobedient and graceless son, would have preferred
the order of nature to the divine will of God, who
had expressly declared, before the children were born,
that the elder should serve the younger. But God
would not suffer his purpose to be so disappointed ;
and therefore, being unwilling to deal hardly with
Isaac, he permitted him to be imposed upon by his
wife and younger son, and thereby drawn to do that
unwittingly, which to have done knowingly, would
have been very uneasy to him.
It so fell out, that Rebekah overheard what her hus-
band had said to his son Esau. Wherefore, when Esau
was gone to hunting, she called her son Jacob to her ;
and having related to him what she heard his father
say to his brother, she first in a general way enjoined
him that he should punctually observe her directions.
Then in particular bid him go to the flock, and fetch
from thence two good kids of the goats ; and with them,
* A. M. 2245.
72 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
•said she, will I make savoury meat for thy father,
such as he loves ; and thou shalt bring it to thy father,
that he may eat, and may bless thee before his death.
Jacob had gotten the birth-right already, and knew
that the paternal blessing did usually attend it ; but he
was fearful, lest, if he should attempt to get it by such
indirect means, he should lose the blessing, and get a
curse instead of it : for he considered, that his brother
being all over hairy, and he smooth, if his father, to
supply his defect of sight by feeling, should handle
him, he might easily discover him ; and this he ob-
jected to his mother. But she having continually
kept in remembrance the words of the Divine Oracle,
4 The elder shall serve the younger,' Gen. xxv. 23;
confidei tly answered him, ' upon me be thy curse,
my son, only obey my voice,' and without delay go
fetch me the kids.
Jacob disputed no further, but went and brought her
the kids, with which she made savoury meat, such as
she knew her husband loved. Then dressing up Ja-
cob in Esau's best clothes, which she, it seems, had
the keeping of, or could come at, and fastening the
hairv skins of the kids upon his hands, and the smooth
parts of his neck, for in those hot countries men went
bare-necked ; she put the dish of meat into his hand,
and sent him with it to his father.
As soon as Isaac heard his voice, he asked, Who
art thou, my son? (meaning which of my sons art
thou) Jacob answered, I am Esau, thy first-born. By
which it is probable he meant, that he did represent
Esau, or *tood in the place of Esau the first-born, by
virtue of the purchase he had made of the primogeni-
ture or birth-right of his brother Esau.
Isaac, wondering that he had made such haste, asked
him, how it came to pass that he had found and taken
the venison so quickly : he replied, •■ Because the Lord
th\ God brought it to me.' Meaning, peradw .-.-
ture, that the Lord had put that invention or contriv-
ance of the kids into his mother's mind, and :
hand brought it to him.
PART I.
SACRED HISTORY. 73
Isaac, not willing to trust to his hearing only, called
Jacob to come near him, that, saith he, I may feel
thee, whether thou be my very son Esau or not. Jacob
thereupon went to him ; and the poor old man, de-
prived of sight, when he had felt Jacob's hands, being
deceived by the hairy kids'-skins, could not ascertain
himself, whether it was Jacob or Esau ; but shewed
his uncertainty, by saying, 'The voice is Jacob's voice ;
but the hands are the hands of Esau.' Having there-
fore no other wav to attain satisfaction, but the vera-
city of his son, he put the question more close and
home to him, l art thou my very son Esau ?' To
which Jacob answering, ' I am,' the old man urged
no further, but taking him indeed for Esau, bid him
bring near the meat, that he might eat of his venison,
and his soul might bless him.
Jacob was not backward to do that, but brought the
food near to him ; of which when he had eaten, he
brought him wine also, and he drank. After which
Isaac bid him come near, and kiss him ; which while
Jacob did, his father smelled the smell not only of the
kids'-skins, but of the raiment he had on.
Upon smelling the raiment, he began to pour forth
his blessing upon Jacob, saying, * See, the smell of
my son is as the smell of a field, which the Lord hath
blessed. Therefore God give thee the dew of hea-
ven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn
and wine. Let people serve thee, and nations bow
down to thee. Be lord over thy brethren, and let thy
mother's sons bow down to thee. Cursed be every
one that curseth thee ; and blessed be he that blesseth
thee.9
Very concise are the terms of this blessing, but
very full and extensive is the matter contained there-
in ; and, like an heavenly-minded man, he begins his
blessing with an apprecation of heavenly things, sig-
nified by the l dew of heaven.' After which follows
the fatness of the earth, producing plenty of corn and '
wine ; under which two general heads, are, by a synec-
VOL. I. G
74 SACRED HISTORY. PARTI.
doche, comprehended all necessary conveniences and
accommodations for the being and well-being of hu-
man life. Then follows power and dominion, both
general over people and nations ; and particular over
his brethren, the sons of his mother. Under which
expression, by an over-ruling Providence, Isaac was
made unwittingly to confirm to Jacob the birth-right,
before by private contract transferred from Esau to
him.
Thus Jacob obtained the blessing ; but by such ways
and means, as if they may be excused in him, or he in
using them, on the account that God had appointed the
blessing to him ; yet are they not to be imitated, or
drawn into example by any other : which they may do
well to consider, who propose the whole Scripture, and
every part thereof without distinction, for a standing
rule of botli. faith and practice to all believers in all
times.
Scarce was Jacob got clear off from his father's pre-
sence, when in came his brother Esau from hunting,
who, having caught some venison, and dressed it fit
for his father's palate, brought it in with him ; and
little thinking what had passed between his father and
his brother, very cheerfully said to his father, 4 Let
my father arise, and eat of his son's venison, that
thv soul may bless me.'
This startled Isaac, who thereupon hastily asked,
4 Who art thou ?' To which Esau replying, ' I am thy
son, thy first-born, Esau;' a very great trembling
seized upon Isaac, and brought upon him a perturba-
tion of mind ; so that he called out, ' Who, where is
he that hath taken venison, and brought it me ; and I
have eaten of all before thou earnest, and have blessed
him ?' And, being by this time sensible of a divine
ordering hand therein, he added, 4 Yea, and he shall
be blessed.'
At that word Esau cried out most bitterly ; and
having no hopes to prevail with his father to reverse
the blessing given to his brother, he cried, \ Bless me,
even me also, O my father.'
PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 75
Isaac, to excuse himself to him for having given the
blessing from him, told him, 4 Thy brother came with
subtlety, and hath taken thy blessing from thee.'
1 Ah,' said Esau, (playing upon his brother's name,
which signifies a supplanter) l is he not rightly named
Jacob ? For he hath supplanted me these two times :
he took away my birth-right before ; and behold now
he hath taken away my blessing.' Thus an offended
mind is apt to overcharge ; for Jacob did not take
away his birth-right. He only asked him to sell it ;
and Esau, not regarding it, sold it him for a trifle.
But Esau, applying himself again to his father, said,
* Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me ?' Isaac
wanted not good will to him ; but he had emptied the
chief of his store upon Jacob. ■ I have made him
thy lord, (said Isaac to Esau) and all his brethren
have I given to him for servants ; and with corn and
wine have I sustained him : and what shall I do now
unto thee, my son :' 4 Alas !' said Esau, ' Hast thou
but that one blessing ? Bless me, me also, O my fa-
ther.' And with that, he not only cried out aloud,
but wept also.
Of this, long after, the author to the Hebrews took
notice, Heb. xii. 16, 17, where, having branded Esau
with profaneness, in despising his birth-right, and sel-
ling it for a morsel of meat, he observes that, when af-
terwards he would have inherited the blessing, he was
rejected ; for though he sought it (the blessing) care-
fully, and with tears, yet he found no place of repent-
ance in his father. Neither prayers nor tears could
prevail with Isaac to revoke the blessing he had, by
divine appointment, given to Jacob ; ' I have blessed
him,' said he, * yea, and he shall be blessed.'
Yet, that he might somewhat pacify Esau, and do
as well for him as he could, he at length tells him,
4 His dwelling shall be of the fatness of the earth, and
of the dew of heaven from above.' In which words,
besides the inverting of the order of the words and
things, the earthly, the fatness of the earth, being
here to the earthly man set first ; whereas the dew of
T6 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
heaven was set first to Jacob, the heavenly man. This
which is said to Esau looks more like a prediction of
what would befal him, than an apprecation that they
might befal him. To Jacob it was said, c God give
thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth,'
&c. But to Esau, 4 Thy dwelling-place shall be of the
fatness of the earth,' &x. And whereas power and
sovereignty, not only over Esau and his posterity, but
more generally over people and nations, is wished to
Jacob : Esau is told, that he should live by his sword,
{which is but an unquiet, uneasy, unsafe course of life)
and should serve his brother ; which must needs be a
cut to him. But, for his comfort, it is prophetically
added, that he in his posterity should, at one time or
other, have a dominion also ; and that then they should
break his brother's yoke from off their neck ; which
was attempted, and begun in king Joram's time, 2
Kings viii. 20, 22, but not completely and fully ful-
filled till king Herod's time, who was an Edomite.
Esau regarded not the birth-right, which led to the
blessing ; but the blessing he was very earnest to have
gotten. Thus some men are desirous of attaining the
end, but neglect the means which lead to that end.
Now when Esau saw that his brother Jacob had got
the blessing from him, he hated him for it ; and sup-
posing his father would not live long, he resolved, that,
as soon as his father should be dead, he would slay his
brother. Of which his unnatural purpose Rebekah
being informed, she called her son Jacob to her, and
having acquainted him with his brother's threats,
wished him by any means to make a visit to his uncle
Laban at Haran, and tarry with him a while, until his
brother's fury should be assuaged; which she would
observe, and then send for him home again.
Jacob being of a mild, and probably somewhat fear-
ful nature, and knowing Esau's rough temper, would
easily comply with a proposal tending to his own safe-
ty ; but to go without his father's consent would not
do well ; and how to get the old man's consent was
the difficulty. Rebekah therefore took an oppoi tuuiiy,
PART f. SACRED HISTORY, 77
when her husband and she were together, politicly to
complain of the uneasiness she was under on the ac-
count of their son Esau's Hittite wives ; and the fear
she had, lest his example should lead their son Jacob
to do the like, ■ I am weary of my life,' said she to
her husband, ' because of the daughters of Heth,
(meaning Esau's wives) if (added she) Jacob should
take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these
which are of the daughters of this land, what good
shall my life do me f"
Though Isaac knew not the ground nor drift of this
complaint, yet being a devout and pious man, and
knowing that the promise made to Abraham, and re-
newed to him, was to be fulfilled in the seed of Jacob ;
and being therefore careful that he should not corrupt
his seed, by mixing with any of those nations which
were to be destroyed, he forthwith called Jacob to him,
and, together with his fatherly blessing, gave him a
strict charge that he should not take a wife of the
daughters of Canaan, but should go to Padan-aram,
to the house of Bethuel, his mother's father; and
from thence take him a wife of the daughters of La-
ban, his mother's brother. i And God Almighty,'
said he, to encourage him, ; bless thee, and make thee
fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a mul-
titude, (or an assembly rather) of people ; and give
thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed
with thee, that thou mayest inherit the land wherein
thon art a stranger, which God, gave unto Abraham.'
Thus Isaac sent away Jacob, just as his mother
and he had desired and contrived ; and away towards
Padan-aram goes Jacob.
Now when Esau saw that his father had confirmed
the blessing to his brother Jacob, and sent him away
to Padan-aram, to take him a wife from thence ; and
that, as he blessed him, he charged him not to take a
wife of the daughters of Canaan, and that Jacob, in
obedience to his parents, was gone towards Padan-
aram, collecting from thence, that his father was dis-
C2
78 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
pleased with him for having taking those Hittite wives,
who were of the daughters of Canaan ; and thinking
to reingratiate himself with his father, he went and
took Mahalath, his uncle Ishmael's daughter, to be his
wife, which mended the matter but little.
Jacob now travelling towards Padan-aram, and be-
ing benighted on the way, was fain to lodge abroad in
a certain place, Providence so disposing it. Where-
fore lying down on the ground, and laying his head
upon a stone, he fell asleep ; and in his sleep dreamed
that he saw a ladder set upon the earth, the top of
which reached to heaven ; and upon it were the angels
of God ascending and descending. Above it stood
the Lord, and said to him, ' I am the Lord God of
Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac : the land
whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy
seed. And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth ;
and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the
east, and to the north, and to the south : and in thee,
and in thy seed, shall all the families of the earth be
blessed.' And to comfort and encourage him to go
on his journey, he added, c And behold I am with
ihee, and will keep thee in all places where thou go-
est ; and will bring thee again into this land ; for I will
not leave thee, until I have done that which I have
spoken to thee of.'
Jacob hereupon awaking out of his sleep, and hav-
ing the matter of his dream imprinted on his mind,
said, ' Surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it
T.ot.' And this being, so far as appears, the first time
that God had so immediately appeared to him, a re-
verential awe fell upon him; and being afraiu, he
brake forth into admiration, saying, 4 How dreadful is
this place ! This is none other but the house of God ;
and this is the gate of heaven !' For though at first he
had not welj enough considered the omnipresence of
God, yet here he well observed, that where God doth
vouchsafe so to manifest himself, that is his house....
Getting up therefore early in the morning, he took the
stone, which he h?.d put for his pillow, and set it up
PART I.. SACRED HISTORY. 79
for a pillar, both as a monument of God's love to him,
in so eminently appearing, and confirming his gracious
promises to him ; and as a mark to know the place by
afterwards, whenever he should come that way again.
Having set up the stone, he poured oil upon the top
of it. And this being the first mention we have of
oil, either as to use, thing, or name, it seems more
reasonable that he used it here, and so afterwards,
Gen. xxxv. 14, in a way of religious consecration :
and that rather by a divine instinct, and secret direc-
tion from God, than by imitation or example from
either his father or grandfather ; which some think he
did. For if either Abraham or Isaac had used oil in
any of their religious performances, it may well be
thought there would have been some mention of it be-
fore ; whereas I find it not so mueh as named till now,
nor after this, save once, when Jacob, returning from
Padan-aram to this place again, poured out oil on a
pillar then, as he had done now, until God in the law
appointed the use of it in consecrations, and in offer-
ings, &c. Which ceremony, says one, signified these
two things ; one, that Christ was anointed, and conse-
crated to his office of mediator, with fulness of the
Holy Ghost ; secondly, that the anointing of the Spi-
rit is that which makes us, and all our service, accept-
able to God. ...Wilson's Christian Dictionary, verbo oil.
The place where Jacob had this heavenly vision,
which was called Luz before, he now called Beth-el,
that is, the house of God. And before he went from
thence, repeating some part of what the Lord had said
to him, he vowed a vow, the more strongly to bind
himself to the Lord's service, saying, c If God will be
with me, and will keep me' in the way that I go, and
will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, so
that I come again to my father's house in peace; then
shall the Lord be my God ; and this stone, which I
have set up for a pillar, shall be God's house, or, in
the place where I have set up this pillar will I wor-
ship God, and of all that thou shalt give me, I will
surely give the tenth unto thee.'
30 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
This is the second mention of tythes or tenths, and
the first vow concerning them ; made voluntarily, and
expressed in the terms of giving them, and that not to
man, but to God. How or when it was performed, no
man knows ; but most think it was by an offering unto
God when Jacob built an altar at El-bethel, and set up
a pillar in the place where God had talked with him,
and poured a drink-offering, and oil thereon, at his re-
turn from Padan-aram, Gen. xxxv. 7, 14.
Jacob having thus performed his devotions, and be-
ing much encouraged by the vision he had seen in his
sleep, went cheerfully on his journey, till he came into
Mesopotamia. And looking about as he walked, he
saw a well in a field, and three flocks of sheep lying
bv it : for out of that well the flocks were wont to be
watered. And because the mouth of the well was
covered with a great stone ; the manner was, that
when all the flocks were gathered together, the shep-
herds, joining all their strength, rolled away the stone ;
and when they had watered the sheep, they put the
stone again upon the mouth of the well.
Jacob straightway makes up to them, and saluting
them, with the courteous compellation of brethren,
asked them whence they were ? They answering, of
Haran ; he asked them, if they knew Laban, and how
he did ; they tell him, he was well ; and that that
was his daughter Rachel, who was coming towards
them with the sheep.
By that time they had done their discourse, Rachel
was come up to them with her father's sheep ; for she
kept them. As soon as Jacob saw Rachel, he rolled
the stone from the well's mouth, and watered her
sheep ; which done, he told her who he was, and salut-
ing her with a kiss, he lift up his voice and wept for
joy. Rachel leaving him there, hasted home, and told
her father whom she had met with. And as soon as
Laban heard that Jacob, his sister's son, was come to
see him, he ran to meet him, and having embraced
and kissed him, he brought him home with him.
PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 81
Jacob soon after gave his uncle an account of what
had happened betwixt his brother Esau and him, as
the cause of his coming from home ; and of the vision
he had had in his sleep on the way. All whicja was
necessary for Laban to understand, both to prevent
any suspicion that he had misbehaved himself at home,
or left his parents without their consent or direction,
seeing he came so bare and unattended ; and also to
make him sensible, that the Lord had taken upon him-
self the protection and care of him. And according-
ly Laban, when he had heard the account he gave,
acknowledging him to be his near kinsman, gave him
a kind reception.
When Jacob had now been with his uncle Laban the
space of a month, and had entered himself in his
uncle's business, as intending to make some stay with
him, his uncle taking an opportunity to discourse
with him, let him know he did not expect, nor think
it reasonable, that because he was a near relation, he
should serve him for nothing ; and therefore desired
him to tell him what wages he would have.
Rachel was Laban's younger daughter ; but being
beautiful and well-favoured, whereas her sister Leah
was tender-eyed ; Jacob was in love with Rachel ; and
therefore told his uncle, he would serve him seven
years for his younger daughter Rachel. To which
Laban, as well he might, consenting, Jacob entered his
first apprenticeship, or seven years' service, which, for
the great love he bore Rachel, seemed to him but a few
days.
When he had served up his time, he desired his
uncle (who was now to be his father-in-law) to give
him his wife. Laban thereupon, that the marriage
might be openly solemnized, made a feast, and invit-
ed his neighbours. And being desirous for his own
advantage to detain Jacob still in his service, he
dealt not fairly with Jacob, but beguiled him ; for in
the evening, he ' took Leah, and brought her to Ja-
cob's bed instead of Rachel.' And4t being the cus-
tom of the country, that the bride, on pretence of
82 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
modesty and shame-facedness, should be covered
with a veil when she was brought to the bridegroom,
Jacob by that means was deceived, not discerning
that it was Leah till next morning.
Next morning, when he found the abuse, he com-
plained of it to Laban, who put it off with a slender
excuse, aliedging, that it was not the manner of that
country to give the younger in marriage before the
eider ; which, if it had been true, he should have ac-
quainted Jacob with it before they had contracted.
Laban, knowing the great affection Jacob bare to
Rachel, needed not doubt but the hopes of having her
too would bind him to stay longer with him, which
was the thing he much desired. But he seemed afraid,
lest Jacob, in resentment of the injury done him,
should throw off Leah, and not receive her for his
wife. Wherefore, in gentle terms, he intreats him to
fulfil her week ; and then, said he, ■ we will give thee
this also, for the service which thou shalt serve with
me yet seven other years.'
By week here, some understand a week of years, or
seven years ; and that to fulfil her week, he was to
serve up the other seven years before he should have
Rachel. But others with better reason conclude, that
by fulfilling her week, was intended that he should
openly acknowledge Leah for his wife, by keeping the
marriage festival seven days together, according to the
manner of those times in that country, and at the end
of the week should marry Rachel, and serve the seven
years for her afterwards. This appears to be the right
sense of the place by the order of the story. For though
Jacob was with Laban twenty years, Gen. xxxi. 28,
and 41, yet at the end of the fourteenth year Jacob
proposed to part and return home. But Rachel had
born Joseph before that, Gen. xxx. 25, and besides had
been married a good while before she bare Joseph ;
and had had two sons by her maid Bilhah, which could
not have been, if she had not been married before the
end of his second seven years.
■
PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 83
Jacob, consenting to Laban's proposal, fulfilled
Leah's week, and then married Rachel ; to whom his
love went forth so much more than to Leah, that Leah
comparatively was said to be hated. But the Lord
pitying Leah made her fruitful, and restrained Rachel
from bearing; so that Leah bare Jacob four sons,
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, before Rachel had
one.
This troubled Rachel sorely > so that she emulated
her sister ; and being blinded through her too earnest
desire of children, she saw not the hand of the Lord
in it, but imputing her want of children to her hus-
band ; and giving away to her discontent, she vented
her passion upon him, saying unadvisedly to him,
4 Give me children, or I die.'
Though Jacob loved her entirely, yet here his judg-
ment prevailed over his affection. And though he was
naturally of a gentle and mild temper, yet these rash
and unadvised words of Rachel, warmed him to that
degree, that it is said, ' his anger was kindled against
her ;' which he vented in this short but sharp reproof,
1 Am I in God's stead, who hath withheld from thee
the fruit of the womb ?'
By this check, brought to a better consideration of
the matter, and hopeless of issue to match her sister,
Rachel bethinks herself of another way ; and there-
fore deals with her husband, in like manner as his
grand-mother Sarah had dealtin somewhat a like case,
with her husband Abraham. Laban, when he be-
stowed his daughters in marriage, gave each of them
a maid to wait on her. Leah's maid was named Zil-
pah ; and Rachel's Bilhah. Rachel therefore, having
first discoursed, and agreed the matter with her hus-
band, gives him her maid Bilhah for an under-wife or
concubine ; reckoning with herself, that what children
he should have by her maid should be hers, for she
would account them as her own, and would take the
care of, cherish and bring them up, as if she had been
their mother.
84 SACKED HISTORY. PART I.
This is meant by those expressions, c she shall bear
upon my knees,' and ' that I may also have children
by her,' ver. 3. And accordingly when Bilhah soon
after bare Jacob a son, Rachel claims him, takes him
for her own, rejoices that God had given her a son, and
gives him his name Dan. Bilhah bears Jacob a se-
cond son, which also Rachel takes as her own, and
calls him Naphtali.
When Leah saw this, doubting her sister would by
this means get the better of her, she thought she might
use her sister's policy ■, and supposing that she her-
self had given over child bearing, she gave her hus-
band her maid Zilpah to wife ; Zilpah brought Jacob
a son ; which Leah taking, cried ' A troop comes ;'
and thereupon called the boy Gad. Zilpah brings
another son, which Leah, now thinking herself happy,
called Asher.
Her eldest son Reuben was by this time grown big
enough to run about in the fields, where he found some
pretty flowers that had a pleasant smell, which he
brought home to his mother. What sort of flowers
they were is undeterminable : they are rendered Man-
drakes ; which is an herb whose root is said to have
the likeness of a man. But some critics give reasons
to shew that these could not be that : whatever they
were, Rachel seeing them, had a great desire after
them, and therefore prayed her sister to give her some
of them.
The emulation that was between the two rival sis-
ters had so far broken their kindness to each other,
that there was not a good correspondence between
them : so that Leah, thinking Rachel had too great a
share in her husband's affection, and forgetting, or not
rightlv considering, that her sister, not herself, was
Jacob's choice, and that she was but a kind of inter-
loper to her sister, answers her somewhat churlishly,
and in an upbraiding manner; ' Is it a small matter
that thou hast taken my husband,' said she to Rachel,
4 and wouldst thou take away my son's flowers also V
PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 85
Though Rachel could have retorted, and wanted not
sharpness, yet having a mind to the flowers, she would
not contend, but rather propose terms of agreement.
Whereas therefore, in course, Jacob was to have been
Rachel's bed-fellow that night ; she tells her sister, that
if she will give her some of the flowers, she shall en-
joy his company that night. Leah liking the terms,
they agree upon it, and Leah went out in the evening
to meet him at his return from the field ; and having
acquainted him with the terms of their bargain, in-
vites him to her apartment, and his company that
night.
Upon this, Leah conceiving again, brought forth
her fifth son, which she named Issachar, because he
was the fruit of her hire. And in time conceiving
again, she had a sixth son, whom she named Zebulun ;
and at last bare to Jacob the only daughter we read he
had, whose name was Dinah.
Hitherto Rachel had no issue of her own body ; but
now it pleased God to remember her, and at length
hearkened to her request, and gave her a son: where-
upon rejoicing that God had taken away her reproach,
(for so was barrenness then accounted) and predict-
ing that the Lord would add to her another son, she
called the name of this boy Joseph.
Soon after Joseph was born, Jacob having served
up his last seven years service, began to think of re-
turning into his own country. Wherefore putting his
father-in-law in mind, that the time for which he had
contracted to serve was now expired ; he desired him
to deliver him his wives and children, and send him
away.
This was unpleasing discourse to Laban : where-
fore, acknowledging the benefits he had received by
Jacob's being with him, and that he was sensible the
Lord had blessed him for his sake, he earnestly en-
treated him to tarry still with him ; offering to give
him whatsoever he would ask for his wages.
Jacob letting him know that he was also sensible that
the Lord had blessed him since his coming to him, and
vol. i. II
36 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
how greatly the little stock he had before was increas-
ed, wished him to consider if it was not time for him,
who had now a dozen children, to make some provi-
sion for his own family.
But Laban, not willing to hear of parting with him,
still pressed him with, 4 What shall I give thee V Jacob
overcame by Laban's importunity, told him he should
not give him any thing ; but if he liked the terms he
should offer him, he would continue in his service, to
feed and keep his flock still. Which terms were these :
that 'they- should pass through the whole flock, both
of sheep and goats, and draw out all the spotted,
speckled, brown and ring-streaked cattle, from those
that were only white ; and removing them to a conve-
nient distance one from the other, Laban's sons should
take the charge of the spotted flock ; and he of the
white only.5 And then, whatsoever spotted or speck-
led cattle, or brown among the sheep, or spotted or
speckled among the goats, should after that time come
forth out of the white flock, which he was to keep,
that should be his hire. Thus he reckoned he should
depend upon Providence for his wages ; and there
would be no occasion of difference between his father-
in-law and him about it.
Laban was overjoyed at the proposition ; and forth-
with closing with it, they went out and parted the
flocks accordingly ; and delivering the spotted cattle
to Laban's sons, and the rest to Jacob to keep, that he
might be sure there should be no intercourse between
them, to cause mixtures of the cattle, he set them three
days journey asunder.
Now did God remember Laban's unrighteous deal-
ing with Jacob ; how he deceived him in his marriage,
giving him Leah instead of Rachel ; and how, out of
a covetous desire to serve himself upon him, he had
contrived ways to detain him in his service. God
takes from Laban the riches he had before given him
for Jacob's sake, and bestows it en Jacob ; and that in
such a manner, as Laban could neither help himself,
nor justly find fault with Jacob.
PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 87
For Jacob, having his understanding opened by a
divine wisdom, took rods of green poplar, and of the
hazel and chesnut-trees, and peeling off the rind in
strakes, made the white to appear in the rods. Then
setting the rods, which he had so peeled, in the water-
ing troughs, when the flocks came to drink and saw the
speckled rods, they brought forth cattle ring-streaked,
speckled and spotted : all which he set before the white
cattle, that they, looking upon them, might conceive
such. And he took especial care to lay his rods be-
fore the stronger and lustier cattle, that they might
bring forth spotted ones for him ; but before the weak
and feeble cattle he did not lay his rods, but left them
to bring forth cattle unto Laban. By this artifice, not
only the greater number of the cattle brought forth to
Jacob, but his were much the abler and the stronger.
And thus his substance increased exceedingly, not in
small cattle only, but in camels also and asses ; and he
had withal a great family of servants.
Laban, seeing Jacob's prosperity, was not so glad of
the terms before, when Jacob proposed them, as he
was now uneasy under them ; and being a selfish man,
not thoroughly seasoned with a principle of justice,
he flew off from his bargain ; and had, it seems, ere
this, several times altered the terms of it ; which Ja-
cob, for quietness sake, suffered, though uneasily.
But which way soever Laban turned it, he still had
the worst of it. For if he said, the speckled shall be
thy wages, then all the cattle bare speckled ; and if he
said, the ring-streaked shall be thy hire, then ail the
cattle bare ring-streaked ; God so disposing it, to im-
poverish Laban, and enrich Jacob, whom Laban de-
signed to enrich himself by.
Jacob had now been twenty years in Laban's ser-
vice ; whereof he served fourteen years for his two
wives, and six years for cattle. And now he happen-
ed to overhear his brothers-in-law, Laban's sons,
grumbling and complaining that he had taken all that
was their fathers, and had raised to himself a fair
estate out of it. He observed also, that Laban him-
38 SACRED HISTORY. PART 1,
self was grown cold and indifferent towards him ; and
did not carry so kindly to him, as he had formerly
done. This made him think of leaving Laban's ser-
rice, and returning to his father Isaac. But then the
Lord appearing to him, and bidding him « return to
his kindred, and to the land of his fathers ; this brought
his thought into resolution ; only he considered, that
it was necessary he should impart his purpose first
unto his wives, and draw them to a consent ; that they
might not hang back, and thereby hinder his journey.
Wherefore he sent for them both to come to him in the
field ; both that he might not leave his flocks, and that
he might discourse with them about it with more free-
dom and privacy.
When they were come to him, he told them he had
observed that their father's countenance and carriage
was changed of late, and was not now towards him as it
had formerly been ; though he could appeal to their
own knowledge, both concerning his faithfulness and
diligence in his service, and their father's unfair deal-
ing with him, in deceiving him, and changing his
wages so often as he had done. He told them also,
that God would not suffer their father to hurt him ;
but had turned all his contrivances against him to his
advantage, and had taken away their father's cattle,
and had given them to him. And having related to
them how, and for what reason, God had done this,
he then let them know, that the Lord had lately ap-
peared to him, and had put him in mind of the pillar
he had anointed, and of the vow he had made to him
at Beth-el, in his passage from Canaan thither, of
which, at his first coming to Laban, he had given the-m
a relation, and that the Lord had now commanded him
to get him out from this land, and to return to the land
of his kindred.
Rachel and Leah having attentively heard what their
husband had ^aid to them, let him know, they also had
observed that their father was estranged from them,
and sought to make advantages to himself by them :
and were sensible that the Lord had taken their fa-
PART I. SACR£D HISTORY. 89
ther's riches from him, and given it to them, and there-
fore they might, without injury to him, remove both
themselves and their substance. Wherefore assuring
him, that they were willing and ready to go with him,
they desired him to prepare for the journey. Jacob
thereupon, having got all things in readiness, mount-
ing his wives and children upon camels, set forward
with all his cattle and goods, which he had gotten in
Padan-aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land of
Canaan.
It so fell out, that at the time of their departure,
Laban was gone to sheer his sheep ;* which gave
Rachel opportunity to steal and carry away his Tera-
phim. These Teraphim were images resembling a
man, or at least the head of a man, and were kept by
the heathens in their private houses, and were called
their houshold gods. And these they both worshipped
and consulted as oracles in any doubtful case ; the un-
clean spirit to which they were appropriated, and
whose name was written on them, speaking through
them, and thereby giving answer to such as did con-
sult them. Those who desire to know more of these
Teraphim, may read Godwyn's Moses and Aaron,
1. 4. c. 9. Wherefore he will find, that among other
reasons why Rachel took away those images, one is*
supposed to be, that her father, when he should hear
of their departure, might not have those images to in-
quire of ; and so, not knowing which way they had
taken, might be hindred from pursuing them.
Jacob, thus slipping privily away unawares to La-
ban, passed over the river Euphrates, with all that he
had, and made for mount Gilead ; whither he got be-
fore Laban overtook him. For Laban, not hearing of
his flight till the third day after he was gone, was so
far cast behind in the pursuit, that he was fain to travel
seven days journey before he could overtake him; in
which time God came to Laban in a dream by night,
and gave him a charge that he should not speak roughly
* A. M. 2206.
H2
9$ SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
to Jacob. When therefore next morning he, with his
kindred who accompanied him, came to speak with
Jacob, he expostulated with him, but in pretty soft
and gentle terms, why he had stolen away from him,
and did not acquaint him with his purpose to depart ;
but carried away his daughters as if they had been
captives taken in war ; not giving him opportunity to
take a solemn leave of his daughters and grand-chil-
dren, and to send them away with mirth, and in an
equipage befitting his rank : then telling him he had
therein done foolishly, or unadvisedly, and that it was
in his power, that is, he had strength enough with him,
to do them hurt, he added, c but the God of your fa-
ther spake to me yesternight, and laid a restraint upon
me.'
Hitherto he seemed to blame Jacob for unkindness
only, but now he charges him with dishonesty: ' If no-
thing would serve thee but to be gone, said he, because
thou hankerest so after thy father's house ; yet where-
fore hast thou stolen my gods V
To the former part of Laban's speech, relating to his
coming away without giving him notice, Jacob gently
answered, that he did it because he was afraid, lest if
he had acquainted him with his purpose, he would have
forcibly detained his daughters from him. But to the
other part, relating to the stealing of his gods, Jacob,
not knowing that Rachel had taken them, answered
more warmly : ' with whomsoever thou findest thy
gods, said he, let him not live.' And to manifest his
innocency, he bid Laban search all his stuff in the pre-
sence of their brethren ; and if he could find any thing
of his amongst it, let him take it.
Laban thereupon, hoping to find his gods, searched
the tents of Jacob, Leah, and the two hand-maids ; and
not finding them there, went to Rachel's tent.. ..Rachel
was in a double strait, with respect to both her father
and her husband, either of whom she might well think
would have been highly offended with her, if the idols
should have been found in her custody ; therefore «he
hud need use her utmost art to hide them safely. And
PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 91
having time to contrive while her father was searching
the other tents, she took the images, and putting them
into the camel's furniture, the saddle on which she
used to ride, she sat herself down upon them. By
that time she was well settled, her father came in to
search the tent ; whereupon, she keeping her seat, beg-
ged his pardon, that she could not at that time rise up
before him ; alledging for her excuse, that she was in-
disposed. By which pretence he being deceived, and
not removing her to search the saddle, though he
searched all other parts of the tent, found not the
images.
Jacob hereupon dealt roundly with Laban, asking
him, 4 What was his trespass that he had so hotly
pursued after him, and so highly charged him, and
what he had found that belonged to him, now he had
searched all his stuff; bidding him set it forth before
their brethren, that they might judge between them.'
Then recounting the long servitude he had held him
in, his faithfulness, care and diligence in his service ;
the hardships he had undergone therein, both by day
and by night, and the hard and unequal terms he had
held him to ; he concluded thus, c Except the God of
my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac,
(that God whom Isaac feared) had been with me,
surely thou hadst sent me away now empty : but God
hath seen mine affliction, and the labour of my hands,
and rebuked thee yesternight.'
Laban, not knowing how to defend himself against
Jacob's charge, thought best to let fall the debate ; and
therefore calling all that Jacob had, (wives, children,
cattle, goods) his, and pretending that for that reason
he would not hurt them, lest therein he should hurt
himself, he proposed that they should make a cove-
nant of peace between them ; which they did by erect-
ing a pillar or heap of stones for a memorial, calling
it the heap of witness, that neither of them should in-
vade the other. And the covenant being to be con-
firmed by oath, Laban sware, not only by the God of
Abraham, but, heathen like, by the gods of Nahor,
92 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
Abraham's brother ; and, to go higher, by the gods of
their common father Terah. But Jacob sware only
by the fear of his father Isaac, the God whom Isaac
feared. This done, Jacob, having killed some beasts,
gave his relations an entertainment ; and next morn-
ing early, Laban kissing his sons and daughters, and
giving them his fatherly blessing, took his leave of
them and returned home.
As Laban went back, Jacob went forward ; and
God, to confirm him after his rencounter with Laban,
and to comfort him in an assurance of the divine pro-
tection, was graciously pleased to send his angels to
meet him ; which when Jacob saw, he said, i this is
God's host :' and thereupon he called the name of the
place Mahanaim, which signifies two hosts or camps,
alluding therein to God's host of angels, and his own
company.
After this, as Jacob drew near to the confines of the
land of Seir, the country of Edom, remembering how
highly he had provoked his brother Esau, and in what
a menacing fury he left him, Gen. xxvii. and that he
had not in all this time of twenty years received any ac-
count from his mother of the abatement of his bro-
ther's -anger towards him, which she had promised,
when she found it, to send him, ver. 45 ; he thought
it advisable to send a pacifying message to his brother,
that thereby he might have an opportunity to uRder-
stand by the messengers what temper he was now in,
and how he stood affected towards him, before he came
two near him. Choosing out therefore fit messen-
gers, he gave them in charge, that when they were
come to his brother, they should say, c Thy servant
Jacob saith thus : I have sojourned with Laban, and
staid there until now ; and I have oxen and asses, flocks,
and men-servants, and women-servants, and I have
sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace, or favour,
in thy sight.
By this courteous and respectful message, Jacob
hoped to appease his brother, if any thing of his for-
mer resentments still remained j and by giving him
PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 93
some account of his substance and attendants, he
might stop Esau, if he had not wholly lost all sense
and fear of God, from attempting any thing against
him, whom God had so eminently blessed. And be-
sides, it would look kindly and brotherly in him, to
give his brother some knowledge of his condition,
that he might congratulate his prosperous success.
It may perhaps be inquired how Jacob, whom his
father, by divine direction, had made lord over Esau,
could call Esau his lord, and himself his servant....
Tremellius and Junius, in their annotations on the
place, say, 4 By this submission, Jacob did not reject
the honour and dominion conferred by God upon him :
but patiently waiting for the execution of God's will,
he kept himself within the bounds of nature, and re-
verenced Esau as his elder brother.' But I question
whether he had any other regard to the words 'lord and
servant,' than as they were then customarily used among
all sorts, especially by those who desired to ingratiate
themselves with others. As for the term ' lord,' though
Sarah used it as a title of relation, to her husband,
thereby acknowledging his power, and her subjection ;
for which she was long after both commended and re-
commended as a pattern to others, 1 Pet. iii. 6 ; yet
the first use we find of it, not as a relative title, but as
a mere honorary compliment, or complimental honour,
coming from the children of Heth, who were heathens,
to Abraham, Gen. xxiii. 6, 11, 15, is enough to per-
suade, that the rise and first use of it was among the
idolatrous and heathen nations ; and from them came
to be taken up, and used by the fathers and people of
God afterwards, as many other things were, until the
time of reformation ; and that Jacob in fear of Esau
did therefore use it ; and thinking he might thereby
please, and so appease, the haughty humour of his
rough brother.
The account which Jacob's messengers brought him,
when they came back from Esau, put him into a terri-
ble fright, for thejrbrought no answer from Esau, but
only told Jacob, that his brother Esau was coming to
94 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
meet him, and four hundred men with him. This
news did sorely affiict Jacob ; for he concluded from
the number of men which Esau brought with him, that
he came against him with an hostile mind. His straight
was doubtless great : fight he durst not ; fly he could
not ; having women, young children, and great flocks
and herds of cattle with him. The best contrivance
he could think of, was to divide his company ; all the
people that were with him, and all the cattle, into two
bands ; which being set at a convenient distance one
from the other, he hoped, that if Esau should fall upon
one of them, the other in the mean time might have
opportunity to escape.
But though Jacob was willing to use what politic
means he could, yet he trusted not to that; he knew
his safety lay in a divine protection, and he had lately
experienced it in Laban's pursuit of him. Wherefore,
in a most humble and solemn manner, he addresses
himself to God in ibis earnest supplication :
4 O God of my father Abraham, and God of my
father Isaac, the Lord which saidst unto me, Return
unto thy country and to thy kindred, and I will deal
well with thee ; I am not worthy of the least of all thy
mercies, and of all the truth which thou hast shewed
unto thy servant: for with my staff I passed over this
Jordan, and now I am become two bands. Deliver
me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from
the hand of Esau : for I fear him, lest he will come
and smite me, and the mother with, or upon the chil-
dren. And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good,
and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which can-
not be numbered for multitude. '
Very observable is the humility of Jacob in this
prayer, and the persuasive and even forcible reasons
couched in it. He arrogates nothing to himself, nor
so much as calls him his God, or to approach him in
his own name ; but says, l O God of my father Abra-
ham, and God of my father Isaac :' two than whom
we And none more near, none more dear to God, since
man was made. Then putting him in mind, that he
PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 95
undertook his journey by his command, c the Lord
which saklst unto me, return unto thy country, &c.
and under his safe conduct too, and I will deal well
with thee, he abases himself to the lowest (I am
not worthy of the least of the mercies and of the
truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant) which
how great they were, he shews, by his being now be-
come two bands who went out with his staff only.
Then coming to the subject of his petition, he sets
forth the ground of his fear and danger, c deliver me
I pray thee from the hand of my brother, from the
hand of Esau, who, though ht be my natural brother,
is notwithstanding my avowed enemy/ for I fear him,
(as well I may, since he hath resolved my death, and
is now coming with an army against me) lest he smite
me, and (not me only, but my wives and children
also) the mother with, or upon, the children, (while
she, to save her children, covers their bodies with her
own.) And besides all this, if thou shouldst suffer
me and my seed to be cut off, how will thy promise
be fulfilled, who hast said, ' I will surely do they
good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea for
multitude.
Having thus implored the divine protection, he be-
thinks himself, that since he had sent his brother word
how great substance he had, it would not be amiss to
send him a present out of it. But not having time to
pick and choose, Jest Esau should be upon him be-
fore the present could be delivered, he was fain to
take it of that which came next to hand. Setting out
therefore two hundred she goats, and twenty he-goats,
by themselves in a.drove ; and two hundred ewes and
twenty rams in another drove ; thirty milch camels
with their colts in another drove ; forty kine and ten
bulls in another drove ; and twenty she asses with ten
asses foals in another drove ; he delivered them to
his servants, every drove by itself ; and ordering-
them to keep an handsome distance or space between
drove and drove, he sent them on before him ; charg-
ing the servant which followed the first drove, that
96 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
when Esau should meet him, and should ask him
whom he belonged to, whither he was going, and
whose those cattle were, he should say, ' they be thy
servant Jacob's, a present sent unto my lord Esau,
and behold also he is behind us.' The same he gave
in charge to the other servants that went with
the second, third, and every other drove ; hoping that
the sight of so many various presents, and the so often
hearing, from so many several hands, such a submis-
sive and obliging message, might some what mollify
Esau's harshness, and dispose him to a loving and
brotherly temper before they too should meet.
Having thus set forward his present for his brother,
his next g^re was for his wives and children ; all
which he caused to pass that night at the ford over the
brook Jabbock ; and after the m sent over what else
he had, himself going last. But in the night, being
left alone, there wrestled a man with him, until the
breaking of the day. And when he saw that he pre-
vailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his
thigh, and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of
joint as he wrestled with him. Then said the man to
him, ' Let me go, for the day breaketh.' But Jacob
said, ' I will not let thee go except thou bless me.'
The man then asking him what his name was, and he
saving it was Jacob, 'thy name,' replied the other,
4 shall be called no more Jacob (only) but Israel ; for
as a prince hast thou power with God and with man,
and hast prevailed.'
Some take this man that wrestled with Jacob to be
an angel of God ; others the Lord himself, in form of
a man. Evident it is, that Jacob did not take him for
a mortal man, in that he asked a blessing of him.
And God having seen the distress of mind which
Jacob was in, and received the supplication which he
had poiued forth to him, was not content only to de-
liver him from his brother Esau, by turning Esau's
anger into love; but for his further comfort and the
encouragement of his faith, gave him in this conflict a
fresh proof of his power, by which, as he had now pre-
PART I. • SACRED HISTORY. 99
•
of those great deliverances wrought for him by that
powerful arm, which had prservej him through many
dangers, and brought him safe thither, he dedicated
to the mighty God, the God of Israel.
During the time that Jacob staid in this place, his
only daughter, Dinah, took a walk abroad, out of a
curiosity to* see the daughters of the land ; whom young
Shechem, son to Hamor the Hivite,; prince of that
country, descended from Canaan, son of cursed Ham,
Gen. x. 17, seeing, fell in love with; and having" her
in his power, and destitute of all help from her rela-
tions, he lay with her and denied her. And not wil-
ling afterwards to part with ner, being extremely en-
amoured of her, he desired his father to obtain her
for his wife.*
Jacob had heard of the rape. committed on his
daughter. But inasmuch as his sons were with his
cattle in the field, he forbore to take notice of it till
they were come home; they hearing of it hasted
home, being much grievea for the evil committed*
and highly incensed for the injury done to their sis-
ter, and the dishonour of their family.
Hamor soon after came to treat with Jacob about
the match, and finding him and his sons together, ac-
quainted them how strong an affection his son She-
chem had for Dinah; intreating them to give him
her to wife : and inviting them to intermarry with his
people, offered them the freedom of the country to
dwell and trade., and get possessions in ; voting She-
chem also, being present with his father, begged them
to grant him his request; offering to give them what-
soever they would ask, be it never so much, so they
would but give him the damsel to wife.
Jacob's sons, some at least of the most forward of
them, undertook to manage the treaty ; and concealing
their displeasure, but meditating revenge, laid a train
to draw them within their reach. Wherefore having
told them, and that truly, that they could not, accord-
ing to the law of their religion, give their sister in
* A. M. 2274.
100 SAGRED HISTOUY. l'AKT I.
marriage to one that was not circumcised ; thev vet
made them believe that if they would be circumcised,
and procure their people to be every male of them
circumcised as they were, they would then join with
them in mutual marriages, would settle among them,
and incorporate with them as one people. But withal
they let them know, that if they would not agree to
this, to be all circumcised, they would take their sis-
ter and be gone.
Hamor and Shechem were well pleased with the
terms ; the young man especially, who for the delight
he had in Dinah, bestirred himself to bring his people
to consent thereto : his father therefore and he, as
soon as they were come back to the city, falling into
discourse with their citizens, commended the Israel-
ites for peaceable men, and advised their people to
let them dwell and trade in the land, seeing it was
large enough for them both, and to reciprocate mar-
riages with them, by giving them daughters, and
taking daughters of them for wives ; only they told
them, there was no way to bring the Israelites to
agree to this, but by their yielding to be circum-
cised as the Israelites were : which the better to
draw them to, they laid before them the advantages
that would accrue to them from this intermixture and
commerce : ' for shall not, said they, their cattle and
their substance, and every beast of theirs be ours ?
we being so much stronger than they.' This was a
moving argument ; and Shechem having a great in-
terest in the people, for he was more honourable, that
is, more regarded, than all the house of his father be-
sides, they all consented, and every male of them was
circumcised.
Here was policy on both sides ; Jacob's sons urged
circumscision upon the Shechemites, only to gain an
opportunity to wreak their revenge on them. Hamor
and Shechem allured their people with the hopes of
possessing Jacob's substance, only that Shechem might
obtain his desired end, the enjoyment of Dinah.
VART I» SACRED HISTORY. 101
Now had those sons of Jacob, who had laid this
train strained their point. Wherefore on the third
day after this bloody operation, when the Shechem-
ites were in the height of soreness, two of Dinah's
brethren, Simeon and Levi, came boldly upon the
city, and having each of them his sword, slew all the
males.
In this action there is none named but these two ;
yet some, not without reason, think that the rest of
Jacob's sons, who were old enough for such an_ex-
ploit, and their servants also, were engaged in the
execution ; though these two only as authors of the
design are named.
And indeed it is hard to conceive, that two men
should master a city, and slay all the men therein,
though somewhat hurt in such a part of the body as
would not wholly disable them from action and de-
fence ; and should also take all the women captives,
who, of themselves, may be supposed to have been
more than sufficient to overpower two men.
Hamor, and Shechem his son, who gave the occasion
for this massacre, they put to the sword among the
rest : and finding their sister in Shechem's house,
took her away. Then falling on the spoil, they took
not only all that was in the city, but that also which was
in the field : their sheep, their oxen, their asses, and
all their wealth, their little ones also, and their wives,
they took captives ; and what they could not carry
away, that they spoiled, that they might glut their re-
venge upon the Shechemites, for the defiling of their
sister.
Good Jacob shewed, by his dislike of the action,
that he was not ..privy to the design ; and blaming Si-
meon and Levi for it, he told them, they had by this
means 'troubled him, and made him stink among the
inhabitants of the land,' the Canaanites and Perizzites ;
who though they were in time to be cut off, to make
way for Israel, yet not till the time allotted them by
God was expired j nor then by assassinations, but in
I 2 "
102 SACRED HISTORY. PART f.
fair and open war. He also urged them to consider,
that by this treachery and cruel dealing of theirs, they
had exposed both him and themselves to the rage and
revenge of those people ; who, knowing themselves
to be much stronger than he, might be likely enough
to combine together, and destroy him and his family.
To all which, his sons, esteeming the rape committed
on their sister a crime heinous enough to justify the
most extreme severity, made him no other answer
than this, l Should he deal with our sister as with an
harlot ?' And here it maybe worth noting, that they
who submitted themselves to be circumcised, not
from a religious ground, but in hopes thereby to get
all Jacob's cattle and wealth, did thereby lose their
own, together with their lives.
But, as Jacob's fear was not groundless, God took
care to ease him of it, by removing him from the
danger. Wherefore he bid him arise, and go up to
Beth-el, and dwell there ; and make there an altar unto
God, who had appeared unto him, to comfort and
strengthen him, when he fled from the face of his
brother Esauj of whom he was then as much afraid,
as he was now of these people.
Jacob hereupon gave strict charge to his family, and
to all that belonged to him, that they should 4 put away
the strange gods which they had, and be clean, and
change their garments ;' a type of sanctification ; and
then let us arise, said he, and go up to Beth-el, the
house of God. Perhaps he might, by this time, have
discovered thai: Rachel had got and kept her father's
idols ; however, by this means, Jacob had got from
them all the strange gods they had, and together with
them their ear-rings ; which by some people were
worn in a superstitious devotion, as being thought to
have some magical virtue or charm in them. And it
is not unlikely that some of Jacob's servants, if they
themselvcs were not Ishmaelites, might have taken up
the use of wearing ear-rings from the Ishmaelites,
amongst whom it was afterwards a known fashion*
Judg. vni, 24,
PART I. SACRED WISTOHT. 103
These ear-rings, that they might not become a snare
to him and his family, as the like did afterwards to
Gideon, Judg. viii. 27 ; Jacob resolved to make sure
of, as well as of the idols : therefore he did not only
bury them, but he hid them ; he buried them so pri-
vily, that none of his family should know where they
were laid, to take them up again : he hid them under
the oak by Shechem ; and then set forward on their
journey towards Beth-el. And God struck such a ter-
ror upon the cities round about him, as he went, that
notwithstanding the provocation his sons had given,
by the outrage they had committed at Shechem, no-
body pursued after them.
Being come to Beth-el, (heretofore Luz) he there
built an altar, as God had commanded him. And
upon that altar, and at that time, it is supposed he
performed the vow he had made, when God ap-
peared to him in the same place, as he fled from his
brother Esau, Gen. xxviii. 20, 22 ; which, when he had
performed, God appearing to him again, confirmed
unto him his new name Israel ; and gave him repeat-
ed assurances of his promises made to Abraham and
to Isaac, with new blessings to himself. Whereupon
Jacob, in the place where God had now talked with
him^ did set up a pillar of stone, as a lasting monument
of his gratitude and devotion, and poured a drink-of-
fering and oil thereon.
At Beth-el he buried Deborah, his mother's nurse :
who, for what reason she is here mentioned, or how
she now came to be in his family, is not clear. It is con-
jectured, that after she had attended her mistress Re-
bekah to her marriage, and seen her well settled in her
family, she went back to Haran again, and there dwelt
in Laban's house, till Jacob returning home, she put
herself into the company, with a desire to see her old
mistress once again. Doubtless, she was had in good
esteem by them, because they bewailed her death so
much, that the oak, under which she was buried, was
called the oak of weeping.
104 SACRED HISTORY. PART U
Jacob staid not long at Beth-el, but hastened to
Mamre to see his father; and Ephrath, afterwards-
called Bethlehem, being in their way, they aimed to
have got thither t but though they had but a little way
to it they could not reach the town, before Rachel fell
in travail of her second and last child ; but having a
hard labour, the midwife to encourage her, bid her
not fear, for she should have this son also : she was de-
livered of him, but died immediately, and just as she
departed she called the boy's name Ben-oni, that is,
the son of my sorrow. But his father, probably not
liking that the remembrance of so sorrowful a subject
should be perpetuated, and continually renewed to him
as often as he should hear his son named, called him
Benjamin, which signifies, the son of my right hand ;
intimating thereby how near and dear he should be to
him.
Having buried Rachel on the way, in the place where
she died, and for a mark to know it by, set up a pillar
on her grave, Jacob went on his journey. But ere he
could reach Mamre, where his father dwelt, an occa-
sion of greater grief than this, though doubtless this,
considering the passionate love he bare to Rachel,
must needs be very great, befel him. For Reuben
his eldest son denied his father's bed, by committing
incest with Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid, and his father's
secondary wife or concubine. Jacob, it seems, heard
of it ; yet I do not find he did then take any public
notice of it; but doubtless it sank deep in his mind,
and stuck by him to his dying day ; for just before his
death, giving his blessing amongst his children, he
rubbed Reuben with this : 4 Reuben, said he, thou art
my first-born, my might, and the beginning of my
strength, the excellence of dignity, and the excellency
of power.' This had been his portion by virtue of his
birth-right, had he not by that transgression lost it.
But now become unstable as water, which advanced
never so high, falls down again, his doom was, 4 Thou
shalt not excel, because thou weutest up to thy father's
PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 105
bed, and deflledst it,' Gen. xlix. 3, 4. So to Judah,
of whom our Lord was to come, was Reuben's birth-
right transferred, ver. 8, from whom also in time it
fell to the son of Rachel, who in right should have
been Jacob's first wife, and whom Jacob thought he
had embraced, when he begat Reuben.
At length Jacob reached Mamre, the city of Arbah,
afterwards Hebron, where his grandfather Abraham
had sojourned, and his father Xsaac then dwelt ; who
may well be supposed to have rejoiced greatly for his
son Jacob's safe return, after so long an absence ; as
well as Jacob, in that he found his father living and in
health.
But long he had not been here, ere another sorrow-
ful exercise befel him : whereof this was the occasion.
His son Joseph, having now attained to the seven-
teenth year of his age, was with his brethren, Dan and
Naphtali, Gad and Asher, the sons of Jacob by Bilhah
and Zilpah, feeding the flock ; and he brought unto his
father an evil report of them, which estranged their
love from him. His father also could not conceal the
extraordinary love he bare to Joseph, more than to all
nis other children ; both as he was the son of his old
age, and the eldest son of his best beloved Rachel :
but he must needs make him a fine coat, of divers co-
lours,* to distinguish him from his brethren; for.
which they hated him, and could not speak peaceably
unto him.
Neither was this all ; Joseph had two very signifi-
cant dream6, which he told his brethren : and that
made them hate him the more. His -first dream was^
that 'his brethren and he binding sheaves together
in the field, his sheaf arose and stood upright, and
their sheaves round about made obeisance to his sheaf.'
When he had told this dream to his brethren, they an-
swered with disdainful scorn, ' Shalt thou indeed
reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion
over us ?? And they hated him the more for this j
but he, poor lad, went on, and dreamed again, that the
• A. M*. 22T6.
106 SACRED HISTORY. PAR \
sun and the moon, and the eleven stars made obeis-
ance to him ; this dream also, in his childish simplicity,
he told not to his brethren onl)-, but to his father too.
His father, observing the tendency of the dream, and
knowing his brethren did not already well brook him,"H>
not only rebuked him before them, but a little to ridi-
cule it, by applying it to Rachel, who was dead and
buried, as well as to himself and them, asked him,
* shall I and thy mother, and thy brethren, indeed
come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth V
As if he had said, if thou couldest expect that from
me, and thy brethren ; yet must thy mother arise out
of her grave, and come to bow to thee ? Not consider-
ing, that though Rachel his natural mother was dead ;
yet Leah his step-mother was still living. But though
his father was willing thus to make light of it, that it
might be the less oifence to his brethren ; yet it made
an impression on Jacob's mind.
Soon after this, his brethren being gone to feed the
flock in Shechem, Israel sent Joseph to see how they
did, and how the flocks stood in health, bidding him
bring him word again. Joseph thereupon going out
of the vale of Hebron to Shechein, and not finding
them there, wandered about, till a cert?..rn man finding
him, and upon inquiry understanding he looked for his
brethren, directed him to Dothan, whither they were
gone^ and thither he went after them.
As soon as they saw him, and before he came up to
them, having let in a deep offence into their minds
against him because of his dreams, they conspired to
slay him, saying one to another, ' Behold this master
dreamer is coming ; as soon as he comes, let us slay
him and cast him into some pit, and we will say some
evil beast hath devoured him ; and then we shall see
what will become of his dreams.'
Reuben hearing this bloody contrivance, and wholly
disliking it, studied how to prevent it ; that he might
deliver him safe to his father. Wherefore, persuad-
ing them not to kill him, he advised them to abstain
from shedding blood ; l but rather, said he, cast him
PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 107
into this pit, that is in the wilderness ; and lay no vio-
lent hand upon him.' The rest, considering that if he
perished in that pit, that would as well answer their,
end of ridding themselves of him, consented to Reu-
ben's counsel.
Accordingly, when Joseph was come up to them,
they seized on him, took off his gay coat, and cast him
into the pit ; which at that time was dry and empty.
Poor Joseph meanwhile, extremely frightened with
this rough entertainment, and bitterly crying out in
the anguish of his soul, besought his brethren not to
kill him, nor to throw him into that pit, where he must
miserably die by famine : but they being resolutely
bent to destroy him, would not hear him.
Reuben, seeing him put into the pit, conceived good
hope that he should find means to deliver him from
thence ; and therefore seemed to concur with them.
But he going from them on some occasion, they, while
they were eating some victuals, espied a company of
Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, and going down to
Egypt, with their camels laden with spicery and other
merchandise. At sight of these, Judah said to the
rest of them, 4 What shall we get by killing our bro-
ther, and concealing his blood ? come let us sell him
to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him,
for he is our brother, and our flesh.' The rest con-
sidering that by this means they would rid their hands
of him, without shedding his blood, and should get
something by the bargain too, closed with the propo-
sition ; and drawing Joseph up out of the pit, not-
withstanding his most earnest intreaty, having, now
that Reuben was absent, no advocate for him amongst
them, they sold him to those Ishmaelitish merchants,
for twenty pieces, or shekels, of silver ; and these
carrying him into Egypt, sold him to Potiphar, an of-
ficer to king Pharaoh, and captain of Jiis guards.
But when Reuben returning by the pit missed Jo-
seph, fearing they had slain him in his absence, he
lent his clothes, which was the custom of those coun-
tries and times, to express the highest grief j and of
108 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
which, though afterwards more frequently used, this is
the first instance we have, and coming to his brethren,
he cried out, 4 Alas, the child is gone, what shall be-
come of me, or whither shall I go?' For poor Reuben
having greatly offended his father before, in his tres-
pass with Bilhah, his father's concubine, and probably
hoping to have regained his favour, by preserving his
beloved son, and restoring him safe to him ; having
now lost the hope of that advantage, and reasonably
fearing that his father's displeasure would fall heaviest
on him, both as he was highly offended with him al-
ready, and as he being the eldest, should have had
most care of the younger, was wonderfully troubled
for the loss of Joseph.
But the rest of the brethren, contriving how to
manage the matter to their father, so as to throw off
all suspicion from themselves, took Joseph's coat ; and
having killed a kid, and dipped the coat in the blood,
they sent it to their father, by some that should say
to him, i This have we found : see whether it be thy
son's coat or no V
Poor Jacob, to his sorrow, knew the coat, and
said, i It is my son's coat.' And being deceived by
the blood which was on it, not suspecting his other
sons could have been guilty of such unnatural cruelty,
he cried out, ' An evil beast hath devoured him : Jo-
seph is, without doubt, rent in pieces.' Then, through
extremity of grief, rending his clothes, he put sack-
cloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days.
It is probable that when his guilty sons saw their
father thus overwhelmed with sorrow, it might make
their hard hearts relent ; and though they durst not
discover to him what they had done unto Joseph,
which had been the only way to mitigate his grief;
yet they, bad as they were, undertook to comfort him ;
and so did, and innocently might, their wives, and
their sister Dinah. But he, refusing to be comforted,
said, * I will go down into the grave to my son mourn*
ing :' meaning thereby, that he would not cease
mourning for his son so long as he lived.
fART I. SACRED HISTORY. 109
Some time before this fell out, Judah had commit-
ted a great fault, in marrying a Canaanitish woman,
by whom he had three sons, viz. Er, Onan, and She-
lah. But because this led him into a greater trans-
gression afterwards, which was not fully completed
till after Joseph was sold and gone into Egypt, Moses
deferred the first part of it, that he might give the
story intire together ; which was thus :
Judah going down from his brethren, turned aside
to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah,
with whom he contracted a friendship, which proved a
snare to him : for being at Hirah' s house, he there saw
a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was
Shuah ; and taking a fancy to her, he married her, and
by her had those three sons, whom I mentioned be-
fore.
In process of time, when Er, his eldest son, was
grown marriageable, he took a wife for him, whose
name was Thamar ; but Er, proving a wicked man,
in the sight of the Lord, however he might appear to
men, the Lord slew him. He thus dying without issue,
Judah bids his second son Onan marry his brother's
wife, that he might raise up seed to his brother.
This was long before the law, by which it was after-
wards enjoined, Deut. xxv. 5 ; and yet, though this be
the first mention we have of it, it seems it was then a
custom, and well understood even by young Onan :
for he knew that the seed should not be his, but that
the first born of such an union should be reputed to be
the seed of the deceased brother, and should bear his
name, as was afterwards declared, Deut. xxv. 6.
When therefore Onan went in unto his brother's wife,
he disappointed their expectation, that he might not
give seed to his brother ; which thing so displeased
the Lord, that he slew him also.
Shelah, the third son, was yet to$ young ; wherefore
Judah desired his daughter-in-law Thamar to go to
her father's house, and there remain a widow, till his
son Shelah should be grown up j which Thamar did,
vol. i, a
110 SACRED HISTORY. PARTI,
expecting that when he was grown up she should have
been given to him. But when she saw that Shelah
was grown up to man's estate, and yet she was not
given unto him ; taking it ill that she was so neglected,
she watched a time when her father-in-l?av Judah,
having buried his wife, went up to his sheep-shearers
at Timnath, to comfort himself there, with his friend
Hirta, the Adullamite ; and having laid aside the gar-
ments of her widowhood, and covered and wrapped
Herself up in a veil, she sat down in a place where two
wavs met, by the way that Judah was to pass to Tim-;
natk*
When he had came and saw her sitting there with
her face covered, not thinking she had been his daugh-
ter-in-law, but concluding she was a common harlot,
that sat there, to let herself out to hire ; he stept to
her, and asked her to grant him admittance to her.
She was as forward to yield as he to offer, only she
was willing to know upon what terms, and therefore
asked him what he would give her. He told her he
would send her a kid from the nock, which she ac-
cepted ; but having a further design upon him, she
demanded a pledge of him, until he should send the
kid. He asked her what pledge he should give her.
She pitched upon his signet, his staff and bracelets, so
we read it in the English bibles ; but some think, in-
stead of bracelets, it should rather be read his hand-
kerchief; it not being clear, that in those times the
men of Israel did wear bracelets. Tremellius and
Junius turn it by Sudarium, which signifies an hand-
kerchief; and Dr. Gell thinks it should be so. ...See
his Essav, p. 176. Whatever it was, he delivered
them to her; whereupon the terms being agreed, they
went together ; and she conceived by him.
As soon as he had left her, she left the place ; not
staying for the kid, for she regarded not the hire, but
the' pledge ; and putting off her veil, dressed herself in
her widow's attire again. Judah, being got to his
flock, made haste to send the kid by his friend ihc
* A. M. 2282.
PART I. SACRED HISTORY. Ill
Adullamite, that he might receive the pledge again ;
but Hira could neither find her nor hear of her ; which
he, returning, told Judah ; who thinking it best for
his own reputation, not to make much inquiry after
her, said, ' Let her take it to her, if she will, lest we
be ashamed.'
About three months after, Judah was told that his
daughter-in-law Thamar had played the harlot, and
was with child. He, thereupon, rashly passing sen-
tence on her unheard, said, ' Bring her forth, and let
her be burnt.' Now her pledge stood her in stead;
for sending them to him, she desired him • to con-
sider whose things, the signet, staff, &c. were ; for
by the man whose these are, am I,' said she, * with
child.' Judah, now seeing himself caught, acknow-
ledged them to be his ; and confessing his fault, in not
having given her to his son Shelah, declared ' she was
more righteous than he.'
When the time for her delivery was come, she prov-
ed with child of twins ; whereof one putting out his
hand, the midwife bound a scatlet thread about it :
but he drawing his hand back again, his brother broke
by him, and came out before him. Whereupon he
was called Pharez, a breach ; and the other with the
thread on his hand, was called Zarah. Thus, instead
of the brother raising up seed to his deceased brother,
the father raised seed to his son ; but knew her no
more.
Now though this latter part of Judah's storv, relating
to his incest with his daughter Thamar, was acted after
Joseph was sold, and while he was in Egypt; yet the
former part of it, relating his marriage with Shuah's
daughter, and the birth of his three sons by her, must
needs have fallen out before Joseph was sold : for there
being but two and twenty years, between Joseph's being
sold into Egypt, and Jacob's going down into Egypt
to him, it could not be, which Tremellius and Junius
-well, observe, that in so short a space, Judah could
marry a wife, have three sons at three several births
by her, marry two of those sons successively to one
112 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
woman, defer the marriage of the third son to the same
woman beyond the due time, afterwards himself have
sons by the same woman, his daughter-in-law, and one
of those sons, Pharez, begat two sons, Hezron and
Hamul, Gen. xlvi. 12, before Jacob went down into
Egypt.
Within this time also Isaac, the longest liver of any
since Terah, being an hundred and fourscore years of
age, gave up the ghost, and was buried by his sons
Esau and Jacob, Gen. xxxv. 28, 29, in the cave, in
the field of Machpfctah before Mamre, which Abra-
ham had bought of Ephron the Hittite, for a posses-
sion of a burying-ground, and in which he, and Sarah
his wife, had been buried, Gen. xlix. SO, 31. What
time Rebekah, Isaac's wife, died, is not set down in
the holy scriptures ; only that she was buried in the
same place in which her husband was. But Broughton
says, that the Rabbins hold that she died in the hun-
dred and seventh year of her age, which was the hun-
dred fifty sixthyearof her husband's, ayear before Jaccb
left Laban ; bv which computation she must have been
nineteen vears old, when she married Isaac at forty;
but surely if she were so old when she died, Deborah
her nurse must needs have lived to a great age, who
out-lived her, and yet must be supposed to have been
older than she, when she undertook to be her nurse,
Isaac's funeral being over, Esau, considering that
his brother and he had too great stock and substance
to dwell together, or very near one to the other, de-
parted from his brother Jacob : and yielding to him
the privilege of birth-right, took his wives and chil-
dren, and all his family, with his cattle, beasts, and all
his substance, which he had gotten in the land of Ca-
naan, and went and dwelt in mount Seir, which signi-
fies bristled, or hairy ; a fit place for such an hairy man
to dwell in. But Jacob, succeeding his father in his
estate, dwelt where his father did, in the land of
Canaan.
The generations of Esau are set down in Gen.
xxxvi, with the names of the dukes and kings that came
7ART I. SACRED HISTORY. 113
out of him, and the places where they settled ; which
serves to give light to many places in the scriptures,
especially in the writings of the prophets, for the find-
ing out the originals and settlements of families, people
and nations derived from him.
The last account we have of Joseph, was, that he
was sold to Potiphar, captain of the guards to the king
of Egypt, who soon found the goodness of his bargain,
in the advantage of having a faithful servant ; for the
JLord was with Joseph, and made all that he had to
prosper in his hand ; and his master saw it. Where-
fore Joseph grew much into his master's favour, who
raised him higher 'and higher in his family, till at
length he made him ' overseer over his house, and
put all that he had into his hand ;' leaving his whole
estate, within doors and without, to his care and order-
ing. Nor could he have done better for his own ad-
vantage, for the Lord blessed the Egyptian's family
for Joseph's sake ; so that the blessing of the Lord
was upon all that he had, both in the house and in the
field.
Now Joseph being a comely young man, his mas-
ter's wife had cast an amorous eye upon him, to have
drawn him into a wanton familiarity with her ; but
finding her allurements did not work upon him, and yet
that her desire went forth strongly after him, she was
fain to speak plain, and ask him downright. Joseph
not only gave her a short, but positive denial ; but, to
free himself from her further importunity, gave her the
reason of his denial ; desiring her to consider the great
trust and confidence his master had reposed in him,
and the great ingratitude he should be guilty of, if he
should abuse his master. * My master, said he, hath
committed to my hand all that he hath, in such man-
ner, that he requires no account of me, nor knows what
he has 1n the house ; he hath advanced me so high,
that there is no man in this house, except himself,
greater than I : neither hath he kept back any thing
from me, but thee ; and thee, because thou art .his
£ 2
114 BACRED HISTORY. PART I.
wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and
sin against God P
This repulse, which he hoped would have put a stop
to her lewd passion, had not so good an effect on her ;
but she, persisting in unlawful desires, lay at him day
by day to commit evil with her. And when she saw
that he would not hearken to her, but shunned her com-
pany, she watched an opportunity one time, when he
came into the house, to order things belonging to his
office ; and there being none of the men in the house
at that time, she on a sudden caught hold of him by his
cloak, and pressed him then to lie with her. He, not
knowing how otherwise to get from her, let fall his
cloak in her hand, and slipping away got out of her
reach.
When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand,
and was run from her, despairing thenceforward of
obtaining her desire, and being afraid lest he should
.discover her naughtiness, she, moved partly withre-
•vengeful rage, and partly with policy, to prevent his
accusing her, by making the first charge upon him, cal-
led out aloud to the men that were about the house,
and holding forth Joseph's cloak in her hand, said to
them, ' See, he (meaning her husband) hath brought
in an Hebrew unto us to mock us, (that is, to bring
contempt upon us) and thereby expose us to be scorned
and mocked by others.' Thus craftily she joined them
with herself, (to mock us) thereby to engage them to
take her part, in case Joseph should stand upon his
purgation. And she called him not by his name, but
by the name cf his people, an Hebrew, to set them
the more against him ; for the Egyptians hated the
Hebrews. Then going on with her tale, she said, 4 He
came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a
great voice j and when he heard that I lift up my voice
and cried, he left his cloak with me, and fled, and got
i.way.'
Having thus prepared the men to second her com-
paint, if need should be, she laid up Joseph's cloak
until her lord came home j and then spreading the
PARTI. SACRED HISTORY. 115
garment, together with her complaint, before him, she
accused Joseph to his master, much after the same
manner as she had before done to the men.
The too credulous master, having heard his wife's
complaint, not suspecting her of falseness, and being
deceived by the sight of Joseph's well know cloak,
took honest Joseph, and being inflamed with wrath
against him, put him into the round tower, a place
where the king's prisoners were bound ; and there lay
poor Joseph in irons, Psalm cv. 18.
How hard was now the case of this poor young
man ; a stranger amongst strangers, in a strange land,
having no relation, no friend to stand by him, to plead
his cause, to intercede for him ! But he had innocency,
and the Lord was with him ; for he never leaves them
destitute that fear him, and suffer innocently: and
now he extended his kindness to Joseph in the prison,
and brought him into favour with the gaoler ; so that
the gaoler committed all the prisoners to his care, and
whatsoever was done in the prison, was done by his
order and direction, for the gaoler looked not after
any thing, but left all to him ; because he was sensible
the Lord was with him, and prospered all he took in
hand. Thus Joseph was now overseer of the prison*
as he had been before of Potiphar's house.
But still Joseph was a prisoner ; wherefore the
Lord, in due time, made way for Joseph to be brought
out of prison, the manner whereof was thus : the
chief butler, and the chief baker of Pharaoh king of
Egypt, had offended their lord the king ; for which he
being wroth with theni, committed them to the same
prison in which Joseph Avas a prisoner: and the keeper
of the prison charging Joseph with them, he, because
they were courtiers, waited on them himself.
In one and the same night,, while they were in pri-
son, each of them dreamed a dream ; and when Jo-
seph came to them in the morning, finding them both
sad, he asked them, what ailed them that they looked
so sorrowful. They told him, they had each of them
dreamed a dream that night, which troubled them ;
116 SACRED HISTORY. PART t.
and the rather, because they knew not the meaning of
their dreams, having none to interpret them to them.
For the Egyptians depended much upon soothsayers
for interpreting dreams, and there being no sooth-
sayer in the prison, nor they, who were close prisoners,
having liberty either to go out to, or send for a sooth-
sayer in to them, they knew not how to come by the in-
terpretation of their dreams.
Joseph, having taken them off from depending on
soothsayers, by referring them to God, to whom inter-
pretations of dreams belong, desired them to let him
hear their dreams. Whereupon the butler beginning,
related his dream thus :
c In my dream, behold, a vine was before me, and
in the vine were three branches ; and it was as though
it budded, and her blossoms shot forth ; and the clus-
ters thereof brought forth ripe grapes : and I, having
Pharaoh's cup in my hand, took the grapes, and hav-
ing pressed them into the cup, gave it into Pharaoh's
hand.'
Joseph, having heard the dream, presently told thb
butler, not conjecturally, but positively, 4 This is the
interpretation of the dream ; the three branches sig-
nify three days ; and within three days shall Pharaoh
lift up thy head, reckoning thee among his servants
again, and shall restore thee unto thy place, and thou
shalt deliver Pharaoh's cup into his hand, as thou waSt
wont to do heretofore, while thou wast his butler ; but,
added he, think on me, when it shall be well with
thee, and shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, in
making mention of me to Pharaoh, to bring me out
of this house ; for indeed I was stolen away oat of
the land of the Hebrews, and have not done any thing
since I came into Egypt, for which they should put
me into this prison.'
When the baker saw that the butler had got a good
interpretation of his dream, he was forward to tell his
dream also to Joseph ; and Joseph being as attentive
to hear, he thu3 related : c I also, said he, was in my
dream, and behold, I had three baskets of open work
?£.RT I. SACRED HISTORY. 117
upon my head, and in the uppermost was all manner
of baker's meats for Pharaoh, and the birds did eat
them out of the basket upon my head.'
No sooner had Joseph heard the dream, but he pre-
sently told the baker, this is the interpretation thereof,
4 The three baskets signify three days, and within
these three days shall Pharaoh lift thee quite out of
thy office ; and shall hang thee on a tree, and the
birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee.' Accordingly,
on the third day after, it being Pharoah's birth-day,
he made a feast unto all his servants ; and then did
he restore the chief butler to his office again, who
thereupon gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand, but he
hanged the chief baker: and so was Joseph's inter-
pretation of their dreams fulfilled to each of them.
Well might Joseph have expected, when he heard
of the butler's being restored to his office, and to the
king's favour, that the butler would have remembered
him, and endeavoured his release. But the heedless
butler forgat him, and two long years more was he
obliged to lie in prison, ere any way opened towards
his deliverance.
At the end of those two years, Pharaoh himself
dreamed, i That as he stood by the river, (Nile) there
came up out of the river seven well favoured kine, and
fat fleshed, which fed in a meadow ; and that after them
seven other kine came up out of the river, poor, ill-fa-
voured, and lean fleshed, such as he had never seen in
Egypt ; and stood by the other kine upon the brink of
the river. And that the ill favoured and lean kine
did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine, and
yet seemed never the fuller.' Upon which Pharaoh
awoke ; and then falling asleep again, he dreamed a
second dream, which was, 4 That seven ears of corn
came up upon one stalk, full and good ; and that seven
thin withered ears, and blasted with the east wind,
sprang up after them, and devoured the seven full ears.*
Pharaoh hereupon awoke again ; and his dream re-
maining with him, brought trouble upon his spirit in
the morning j wherefore he sent and called all the ma-
118 SACRED HISTORY. PART ft
gicians and wise men of Egypt, and told his dreams
to them: but none of these could interpret them unto
him.
Now at length did the chief butler remember Jo-
seph ; wherefore he acquainted the king, that when he
and the baker were in prison together, each of them in
one night dreamed a dream ; which a young man, an
Hebrew servant of the captain of the guard, did inter-
pret to them as the event answered.
Upon this Pharaoh immediately sent for Joseph, and
thev that went for him brought him hastily out of the
dungeon : but not being in a fit garb to appear before
a king, he shaved himself, and put on clean clothes,
and then presented himself before Pharaoh. The
king presently told him he had dreamed a dream, and
could not find anyone that could interpret it : but,
said he, I have heard say of thee, that thou canst un-
derstand a dream, so as to give the interpretation of it.*
Joseph modestly excusing himself, gave the king
to understand, that he did not pretend to any skill of
himself, lest Pharaoh should afterwards have thought
he had done it by magical art, as his magicians pre-
tended to do : yet, to impress his mind with a greater
regard to the interpretation which should be given, he
told him also, that ( God, the only interpreter of
dreams, would give him an answer of peace, or to his
satisfaction.'
Pharaoh then relating to him his dreams in order,
Joseph told him his dreams, though two in appear-
ance, were but one in substance, and had both but one
signification : 4 for, said he, the seven good kine do
signify seven years, and the seven good ears do also
signify the same seven years; and both these do sig-
nify seven years of plenty : so also the seven ill favour*
ed kine do signify seven years, and the seven empty
ears do signify the same seven years ; and both these do
signify seven years of famine ; by wiiich, added he,
God hath shewed unto Pharaoh what he is about to
do.' For as the seven good kine, and the seven good
• A. M. 2289.
PART I, SACRED HISTORY. 119
ears, came up first, and afterthem the seven ill favour-
ed kine, and the seven blasted ears ; so there shall
first come seven years of great plenty throughout all
the land of Egypt ; and after them shall arise seven
years of famine, so great, that all the plenty shall be
forgotten in the land of Egypt, and not be known, by
reason of the famine following, which shall be so very
heavy, that it shall consume the inhabitants of the
land ; and the doubling of the dream, he told him was
to assure him of the certainty and speediness of its
coming to pass.
Having thus given the interpretation of the dream,
Joseph proceeded to offer advice to Pharaoh, how he
might improve the dream to advantage : therefore said
he, ' let Pharaoh now look out a man discreet and
wise, and set him over the land of Egypt ; and let
him appoint overseers over the land, who may take
up the fifth part of the products of the land of Egypt,
in the seven plenteous years ; and let them gather all
the food of those good years that come, and lay up
corn in Pharaoh's store-houses ; and let them keep
food in the cities, which shall be for store to the land
against the seven years of famine that shall be in the
land, that the people be not cut off through the fa-
mine.'
Both the interpretation of the dream, and the coun-
sel which Joseph had thereupon given, pleased Pharaoh
and his servants so well, that the king, having said to
his servants, ' Can we find such a one as this is, a man
in whom the spirit of God is ?' turning his speech to
Joseph, said, c Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee
all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art :
thou therefore shaltbe the man.' Thou shalt be over
my house, and all my people shall yield subjection to
thee : 4 only in the throne will I be greater than thou.'
Then, giving him the ensigns of rule and dignity then
in use, as the taking ovT the ring from his own hand,
and putting it upon Joseph's, arraying him in vestures
of silk, and putting a chain of gold about his neck,
causing him to i ide in the second chariot, and order-
120 SACRED HISTORY. "PART I.
ing his heralds to proclaim before him the word Ab-
rech, a word of uncertain signification, but rendered
by some, tender father, by others, bow the knee, in
token of honour and subjection to him, he made him
ruler over all the land of Egypt ; and said to him,
4 See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt, and
as I am king, no man shall attempt any thing through-
out all the land without thy direction or order.' Then,
changing Joseph's name, he called him Zaphnath-
paaneah, which signifies a revealer of secrets, or one
to whom secrets are revealed: and he gave him to wife
Asenath, the daughter of Poti-pherah, prince of On,
called also Heliopolis, or the. city of the sun.
Some take Poti-pherah, Joseph's father-in-law, to
have been priest of On : but the Hebrew word signi-
fying indifferently prince or priest, Tremellius and
Junius render it prince, both here and after, in chap,
xlvii. 22, 26 ; and give divers reasons to prove it
should be read princes, not priests. Some English
translations render it prince in the text, and set priest
in the margin : and the last translation, though it
renders it priest in the text, yet sets prince, and
princes, in the margin.
Thirteen years had Joseph been a bondman in
Egypt, for he was sold thither in the seventeenth, and
was now come to the thirtieth year of his age, when
on a sudden the Lord advanced him, and set him above
his mistress, who had falsely accused him ; above his
master, who had wrongly imprisoned him ; above the
chief butler, who had been his fellow prisoner ; and
above every man in Egypt, except the king only;
And now the seven plenteous years beginning1, in
which the earth brought forth in great abundance, Jo-
seph set forward on his circuit, and rroing throughout'
all the land of Egvpt, gathered up all the food, which
could be spared from present use, and laid it »p in the
cities : storing the fruit of the fields, which was round
about every city, in the same city. And thus did he
every year of those seven fruitful years : by which
-means he heaped up corn as the sand of the sea j so y~ /
>>ART r.
SACRED HISTORY. 121
much, that he was obliged to give over keeping ac-
count, for it was beyond number.
In this fruitful time, Joseph's wife proved fruitful
too, and bare him two sons before the years of famine
came, The name of the eldest son he called Manas-
seh, that is, forgetting : 4 For God,' said he, l. hath made
me forget all my toil, and all my fathers house.' But
the name of the younger he called Ephraim, which
signifies fruitful : c For,' said he, l God hath caused me
to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.'
No sooner were the seven years of plenty ended,
but the seven years of dearth began to come ; accord-
ing as Joseph, expounding the dream, had said. And
it was a general dearth ; not only in Egypt, but in all
the neighbouring countries : yet there was food in all
the land of Egypt, by reason of the stores that had
been laid up. But when the famine grew strong upon
Egypt, and the Egyptians cried to Pharaoh for bread,
he sent them to Joseph, charging them to do as he
should direct them. Joseph thereupon opening the
store-houses, sold out corn, not only to the Egyptians,
but those also that came out of other countries to buy ;
because the famine was sore in all those parts. And
to that degree did it increase, that there was no bread
in all the land, save what Joseph had laid up, so that
the land of Egypt, and all the land of Canaan, fainted
by reason of the famine.
Here in the course of time should come in the story
of Joseph's brethren, their coming to buy corn ot him,
with the various and strange adventures that befell
them j and Jacob's coming with his family to settle in
Egypt, related in chap, xlii, xliii, xliv, xlv, xlvi, and part
of xlvii. But that the reader may have together the ac-
count of Joseph's dealing with the Egyptians, I chose
to postpone the story of his brethren, and go on to set
forth the Egyptian calamity, and Joseph's conduct
therein, as it is delivered in chan. xlvii, from ver. 13
to 27.
When Joseph had gathered up all the money, ihac
was found in the land of Egypt, for the corn which h*i
VOL. I, l
1£2 SACKED HISTORY. FART I.
had sold to them, and had brought it into the king's
exchequer; the Egyptians coming to him, said, l Give
us bread, now our money is gone : for why should we
die in thy presence, who hast wherewith "to keep us
alive ?' But Joseph told them, if they had no more
money, they should bring him their cattle ; and he
would give them bread in exchange for their cattle ;
which they did, and for their cattle he fed them that
year.
When that year was ended, they came to him again
the next year, which is called the second year ; but
must not be understood to be second of the seven, but
the second from the time that their money failed ;
which was indeed the sixth of the seven. And then
they told him, ' they would not hide their condition
from him ; how that their money was spent, and he
had got their herds of cattle already :' so that they
had nothing left now to offer him, but their bodies and
their lands. Therefore, ' let us not die,' said they, c be*
fore thine eyes, both we and our land, for want of seed
to sow it, but buy us and our land for bread, and we
and cur land will be servants unto Pharaoh ; and give
lis seed, that we may live and not die, and that the
land be not desolate.'
Joseph took them at their word, and bought all the
land of Egypt for Pharaoh ; except the land of the
princes, which he did not buy : for the princes had a
portion allowed them by Pharaoh, and did eat the por-
tion which Pharaoh gave them : wherefore they did
not sell their lands. But the rest of the Egyptians
sold every man his field, because the famine prevailed
over them : and so the land became Pharaoh's.
Then said Joseph to the people, behold I have this
day bought both you and your land for Pharaoh. Now
here is seed for you, and ye shall sow the land ; for
this being the last year of the seven barren years, they
might sow in hopes of plenty again ; but, added he,
these shall be the term* on which ye shall hold your
land, ' Ye shall every year give the fifth part of your
increase unto Pharaoh ; and the other four parts shall
*ART I. SACRED HISTORY. 123
be your own for seeding the field again, and for food
for yourselves, your little ones, and all them of your
housholds.' Thus Joseph settled it for a standing law,
throughout all Egypt, that Pharaoh should have the
fifth part of the yearly increase of all the lands, except
the lands of the princes, which did not become Pha-
raoh's.
As for the common people, Joseph removed them
to cities, from one end of the borders of Egypt to the
other. Which probably he might do with this intent,
that by so displacing and unsettling them from their
ancient seats and demesnes, and shifting them to and
fro, one upon another's land, but leaving none upon
their own, he might the better confirm Pharaoh's title
to the whole, when none knew where to claim.
Thus the Egyptians saved their lives, at the cost of
losing their estates and liberties ; and of freemen, be-
came bondmen; of freeholders, tenants in soccage,
holding by the plough, of service in husbandry. In
which yet, so sweet was life to them, they rejoiced,
saying to Joseph : 4 thou hast saved our lives : let us
find favour in the sight of my lord, and we will be
Pharaoh's servants.'
Thus it went with the Egyptians: the account of
which I thought would be most clear and acceptable,
if it were thus given entirely together. Therefore I pas-
sed over the xlii, xliii, xliv, xlv, xlvi, and part of xlvii,
chapters, where the story of Joseph's dealing with his
brethren, and Jacob's going down into Egvpt is related,
that I might connect the latter part of the account of
Joseph's ordering the affairs of Egypt, which is de-
livered in chap, xlvii, from ver. 12 to 27, with the
former part thereof. Which having done, let us now
return, and see how in these hard times it fared with
good Jacob, and his family, in the land of Canaan, for
the famine raged in Canaan, as well as in Egypt; and
they were in worse case who lived there, because there
were no stores laid up, as there were in Egypt.
When Jacob understood that there was corn in
Egypt, he said unto his sons, ' Why do ye look one
124 S ACHED HISTORY. TART I.
upon another? (like dispirited men, void of counsel)
I hear there is corn in Egypt : therefore get ye down
thither, and buy for us from thence, that we may pre-
serve our lives.'
Hereupon Joseph's ten brethren, leaving Benjamin,
the youngest, with their father Jacob, who would not
part with him, lest mischief might befall him, went
down to Egypt to buy corn. And Joseph, who was
the governor over the land, not trusting to deputies,
but selling the corn out himself to those that came to
buy, his brethren coming to treat with him for corn,
bowed down themselves before him, with their faces
towards the earth : thereby unwittingly beginning to
fulfil what Joseph had before dreamed of them. Jo-
seph no sooner saw his brethren, but he knew them ;
though they did not know him. Wherefore, remem-
bering his dream concerning them, and being minded
io try what effect some hard treatment would have
upon them, to bring them to a sense of their unnatu-
ral dealing with him, using an interpreter to avoid
suspicion, he roughly asked them, whence they came :
they answering they came from Canaan to buy corn ;
he replied, 4 Ye are spies, and are come to se^ the
nakedness (that is, the weak and unguarded parts) of
the land.' They submissively answered, c Nay, my
lord, but to buy food are thy sen/ants come.' And
to take off the suspicion of their being spies, they
added, 4 We are all one man's sens : we are true men,
thy servants are no spies.' Thereby suggesting the
improbability of their being spies, being all brethren,
the sons of one man ; since no man in his right wits
would send so many, and all his own children, upon
such a capital enterprize. But Joseph, repeating the
charge upon them, said, l Nay, but to see the naked-
ness of the land are ye come.'*
This drew them, for clearing themselves, to open
the state of the family further, by saying, 4 Thy ser-
vants were twelve brethren, the sons of one man in
the land of Canaan ; and behold the youngest is thi^
» A. M. 22S9,
l'ART I.
SACRED HISTORY. 125
day with our father, and one is dead.' Well, said
Joseph, by this it shall appear whether ye are spies or
no -j ye now say ye have a younger brother : and, by
the life of Pharaoh, ye shall not go hence, except
your youngest brother come hither. Therefore send
one of you, and let him fetch your brother ; and ye
shall be' kept in prison in the mean time, that your
words may be proved, whether there be any truth in
you : otherwise, by the life of Pharaoh, (that is, as
sure as Pharaoh lives) ye are spies.
Some, from this form of speech, ' by the life of
Pharaoh,' charge Joseph with having learned and used
an Egyptian oath. But Dr. Robert Sanderson, in his
book De Juramenti Obligatione, prselect. 5, sect. 7,
defends Joseph from having sworn, when he said to
his brethren, c by the life of Pharaoh.'
Joseph having told his brethren what they must
trust to, put them all together into custody for three
days : and on the third day, sending for them again,
he let them know that he feared God, and would not
that their families should suffer for their faults, nor
that they should suffer if they were faultless. There-
fore, said he, this do: 4 If ye be true men, let one of
your brethern be bound in the house of your prison ;
and go ye, carry corn, to prevent the famishing of
your families. But see that ye bring your youngest
brother unto me ; so shall your words be verified,
and your lives preserved.' To this, not knowing
otherwise how to help themselves, they all agreed.
And thereupon falling into discourse amongst them-
selves, they could not but reflect on their evil usage
of their brother Joseph, whom they all supposed to
be dead. And they said one to another, ' We are
verily guilty concerning our brother, in that, though-
we saw the anguish of his soul when he besought us,
we would not hear-: therefore is this distress come
upon us.' i Ay,' said Reuben, ' did not I intreat
you, that ye would not sin against the child, and ye
would not hear? therefore, behold, his blood is now
required.'
L 2
T2Q SACRED HISTORY. PART 1.
Joseph was present, and heard their discourse : for
having spoken to them by an interpreter before, who
was now absent, they spake freely to one another, as
far from thinking he could understand them, as that
he was their brother. But these words of theirs so
affected good Joseph, that he could not forbear weep-
ing : which, that his brethren might not observe, he
turned away, and left them for a little while. Then
returning, and, by his interpreter, communing farther
with them, he took Simeon, the eldest next to Reuben,
whom he spared, because he not only consented not
to their evil design against him, but saved his life,
and laboured to have delivered him, and causing him
fo be bound in their sight, he set the rest at liberty,
who having their sacks, by his order filled with corn,
and provision given them for their journey, laded their
asses, and departed.
But as one of them, when they came to their inn
upon the way, opened his sack, to give his ass pro-
vender, he espied his money in his sack's mouth, for
Joseph had ordered his steward to put every one of
their monies in his sack again. At sight of this, he
calls out to the rest, and tells them his money was re-
stored. This startle them all: their hearts began to
fail, and fear seizing on them, they said one to another,
* What is this that God hath done unto us V For be-
ing conscious of their own guilt, they looked upon this
as an additional judgment of God upon them for it,
till they came home.
Being come to their father, they gave him an ac-
count of their journey, and of what had befallen them
in it ; relating to him how the lord of the land had
dealt with them, charging them with being spies, en-
gaging them to bring their youngest brother with them,
as a proof of their clearness, when they should come
again, and keeping their brother Simeon bound in pri-
scn as a pledge, till they should bring Benjamin.
This news was very mrpieasingto Jacob ; but when,
upon the emptying of their sacks, they found every
aaan*s bag of money in his sack, both Jacob and they
1»ART I. SACRED HISTORY. 127
were all afraid, lest some new accusation would arise
out of this, when the other, of their being spies,
should be cleared. Jacob therefore, breaking forth in
complaint, said, * Me have ye bereaved of my chil-
dren : Joseph is not, and Simeon is not ; and ye will
take Benjamin away. All these things are against me.*
Reuben, thinking to persuade his father to consent
to Benjamin's going, desired him to commit him to
his care, promising to bring him safe to him again :
which, said he, if I do not, slay thou my two sons, or
two of my sons ; for he had four, named in Gen.
xlvi. 9 ; which went down afterwards with Jacob into
Egypt.
Jacob needed not to be told how ill a recompence it
would have been to him, for the loss of his son to kill
his two grandsons : so that this proposal did but aggra-
vate his grief, and make him resolve that his son Ben-
jamin should not go down with them. ' For, said he,
his brother Joseph (his only brother by the mother) is
dead (so he and they all thought) and he is left alone :
if mischief befall him by the way, then shall ye bring
down my grey hairs with sorrow to the grave.
Thus it stood awhile with them. But the famine
increasing sore upon them, when they had eaten up
the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, Jacob
said unto his sons, * Go again, buy us a little food :'
not taking any notice of the injunction laid upon them
in Egypt, to bring their brother Benjamin with them,
if they meant to have corn, or their brother Simeon
back with them. The sons well knew it was in vain
for them to go without Benjamin : and how to per-
suade their father to part with him was the difficulty.
Reuben had in vain tried his skill before ; wherefore
Judah now attempts to draw his father to a compli-
ance : and in order thereunto he thus bespake him : I
If, said he, thou wilt send our brother with us, we
will go down and buy food : but if thou wilt not send
him, it is in vain for us to go ; so I wish it might be
read, rather than in that blunt manner, ' we will not go,'
riot eg decent from a son to a father. For, added he,
123 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
4 the man did solemnly protest unto us, that we should
not see his face, except our brother was with us.'
This pinched poor Jacob again, and drew from him
a fresh complaint. 4 Wherefore,' said he, l dealt ye so
ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had another
brother V They, to excuse themselves, answered, how
truly doth not appear, ' The man asked us straitly of
our state and of our kindred ; saying, Is your father
yet alive ? Have you another brother ? and we answer-
ing him accordingly, could we sertainly know before-
hand that he would say, bring your brother down V
Jacob beginning now to stagger, Judah said to him,
c Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go ; that
we may live and not die, both thou and we, and our
little ones. I will be surety for him, and at my hand
shall thou require him : if I bring him not unto
thee, and set him before thee j then let me bear the
blame forever.'
What neither their reason nor importunity could
effect, necessity did. If there be no remedy, it must
be so now, said their father to them, do this : l Take
of the best fruits of the land in your vessels, and car-
ry down the man a present ; a little balm, (or balsam)
and a little honey, spices and myrrh, nuts and almonds,'
which, if any wonder they should be to be had in so
great a famine, let it be considered, that this was but
the second year of the seven ; there were five yet to
come, Gen. xlv, 1 1 . And these things not being used
for common food, there might be some small quantity
of the old stock remain. c Take with you also, said
he, double money in your hands,' for he considered
well, that as the famine increased, the price of corn
would be likely to rise. And, added he, 4 Carry with
you again the money that was brought back in the
mouths of your sacks ; for peradventure it was an
oversight.' Take also your brother Benjamin with
vou ; and arise, go again unto the man ; and, which
shews where his hope lay, God Almighty give you
mercy before the man, or incline him to be merciful
to vou, that lie may send away your brother (Simeon)
PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 129
and Benjamin. And now having committed all to
God, 4 If, said he, I be bereaved (of my children) I
am bereaved.* As if he had said, I will trust provi-
dence, and quietly submit to God's divine disposal.
Now went they down cheerfully, having their bro-
ther Benjamin with them, the money that was in their
sacks, to return it again, double money to buy with,
and a present to appease the angry governor : and now
they reckoned they could appear with some confidence
before him.
V/hen they were come into Egypt, and Joseph saw
his brother Benjamin among them, he gave order to
his steward, the ruler of his house, to bring them
home, and make provision for them to dine with him
at noon ; which the steward accordingly did.
This put them into a new fright ; and conferring
together upon it, they concluded, that this was because
of the money that was returned in their sacks before :
and that therefore they were thus brought into the
governor's house, that he might seek an occasion
against them, to fall upon them, and both take them
for bondmen, and seize upon their cattle. That there-
fore they might remove all offence about the return of
their money, they drew near to the steward, and com-
muning with him at the door, one of them, in the name
of the rest, said, i O, sir, when we came at the first to
buy food, it came to pass that when (in our return) we
opened our sacks, (one of us at our inn, by the way,
and the rest of us when we came home) behold every
man's money, in its full weight, was in the mouth of
his sack : we cannot tell who put the money in our
sacks; but we have brought it again; and we have
brought other money also to buy food with.' The
steward cheered them up, bidding them not fear ; and
to hide still the contrivance from them, told them,
4 Their God, and the God of their father, had given
them treasure in their sacks ; for I, said he, had vour
money.' And finding them somewhat dejected, he,
to comfort them, brought forth their brother Simeon
to them ; and gave order that water should be brought
130 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
to them, to wash their feet in ; and that their cattle
should be taken care of, and fed.
They meanwhile, understanding they should dine
there, made ready their present against the governor
should come in : and when he came, they presented
him with it ; bowing themselves to him to the earth.
He asking them how they did, and if their father, the
old man of whom they had spoken, when they were
with him before, was yet alive and well : they answer-
ed, l Thy servant, our father, is yet alive, and in good
health ;' and thereupon again they bowed down their
heads and made obeisance. In doing which Joseph,
no doubt, could not but observe, how inobservant so-
ever they were, the accomplishment of his first dream,
Gen. xxxvii. 7, wherein their sheaves made obeisance
to' his.
Then lifting up his eyes, for his affection would
hardly suffer him to look stedfastly upon them, and
seeing his brother Benjamin, the son of Kis mother,
he asked, ! Is this your younger brother, of whom ye
spake unto me :' and not staying for an answer from
them, said to him, i God be gracious to thee, my son ;'
for his bowels did so yearn upon his brother, that he was
fain to hasten from them, that he might seek a place
to weep in. Retiring therefore into his chamber, he
wept there ; and having thereby given some vent to
his passion, and washed his face, that it might not be
observed that he had wept, he came forth again to
them ; and refraining himself from further tears, gave
order that dinner should be brought in.
Accordingly, provision was made for him by him-
self, by the reason of the dignity of his place, and for
all his brethren by themselves ; and for the Egyptians
who were to dine in his company, by themselves ; be-
cause the Egyptians might not eat with the Hebrews,
who were shepherds, that being an employment which
the Egyptians did abominate, Gen. xlvi. 64.
All things being ready, the brethren sat down in
Joseph's presence, according to the exact order of
their births : and they marvelled one at another. The
FART I. SACRED HISTORV. lot
reason of their marvelling not being expressed, leaves
it uncertain whether they marvelled at the manner and
order of the entertainment ; or whether being placed
not by themselves, as some think, but by Joseph, or
his servants by his appointment, they marvelled how
he came to understand the order of their ages, to dis-
pose them so rigthly in their due rank. However,
finding themselves kindly entertained, for Joseph sent
them every one a mess from his own table, and to
Benjamin a mess five times as much as any of theirs,
they drank freely, and were merry with him.
Now might they think the brunt was over ; and that
they should have no more storms or clouds, but pleas-
ant sun-shine for the future : but alas I their sharpest
trial was yet to come. They who were not enough
sensible of the affliction of Joseph, were not yet
enough afflicted themselves : they must be afflicted
more. Wherefore Joseph commanded his steward to
fdl the men's sacks with food as much as they could
carry ; and put every man's money in his sack's mouth
again : and, said he, 4 put my cup, the silver cup, in
the sack's mouth of the youngest, with his corn mo-
ney.' Which accordingly was done, and early next
morning, by that time it was light, they were sent
away. But they were not gone far out of the city,
when Joseph calling his steward, said to him, l Up j
follow after the men, and when thou dost overtake
them, say unto them, WTherefore have ye rewarded
evil for good ? Is not this (viz. the cup which ye have
stolen) that in which my lord drinketh, and whereby
he will certainly find out what ye are ? Ye have done
evil in so doing.'
The steward, thus instructed, straightway pursued ;
and having overtaken them, charged them, as his lord
had bidden him. They, knowing their clearness,
made light of it, saying, c Wherefore saith my lord
these words ? God forbid that thy servants should do
such a thing.' Then as an argument of their probity
and just dealing, they reminded him of their having
brought back the money which they found in their
132 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
sacks. 4 Behold, said they, the money which we found
in our sacks' mouths, we brought back again unto thee,
out of the land of Canaan : how then is it likely we
should steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold V
But to put the matter out of all doubt, in confidence
of their innccency, they offered themselves to the
search, and that under the severest penalties. * With
whomsoever of thy servants it be found, said they,
both let him die for it, and we also will all of us be
my lord's bondmen.'
The steward took them at their word ; but with this
mitigation ; l He with whom it is found shall be my
servant, said he, and the rest shall be blameless.' Then
every one of them took down his sack ; and as they
opened he searched them, beginning at the eldest,
and so going on to the youngest; and in poor Benja-
min's sack the cup was found.
This was a plain conviction ; at sight whereof
amazement and sorrow took hold of them together :
|n token of which, they rent their clothes, and seeing
no remedy, nor having any thing to say for themselves,
they laded their asses again, and returned to the city.
Joseph, meanwhile, who without a cup could divine
in whose sack the cup could be found, staid at home,
expecting their coming ; and when Judah and his bre-
thren came into the house to him, they fell down be-
fore him on the ground : but before they could open
their mouths to defend or excuse themselves, Joseph
sternly said to them, l What deed is this that ye have
done ? Wot ye not that such a man as I could certainly
find you out V
Although they were altogether innocent of this
matter, yet so great a consternation and fear was on
them, that they knew not -what answer to make ; till
at length Judah thus abruptly brake forth.
' What shall we say unto my lord ? What shall we
sr;eak ? Or how shall we clear ourselves ? God hath
found out the iniquity of thy servants : behold we are
my lord's servants ; both we and he also with whom
the cup is found.'
FART I. SACRED HISTORY. 133
' Nay, said Joseph, God forbid that I should do so :
the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be
my servant ; but as for you, get ye up in peace unto
your father.'
This condescention gave Judah boldness to come
near to him, and thus bespake him. 4 O my lord ! "let
thy ser* *-.*■•, L pray thee, speak a word in my lord's
ears not thine anger burn against thy servant :
for i .6 much to be feared as Pharaoh.' Then
repe. .... and that more at large than was delivered
before, the discourse that had passed between him and
them, when they came first to buy corn, and between
their father and them at their return home, he patheti-
cally set forth the sorrow their father had undergone for
the loss of his son Joseph ; the extreme affection he
bare to his son Benjamin, the difficulty they had to
prevail with their father to trust his Benjamin with
them, so that he himself was obliged to become surety
to his father for the safe return of his brother ; and
that inasmuch as \lis father's life was so bound up in
the life of the lad, if their father should see them
come back without -Kim, it would undoubtedly occa-
sion his death, and -they should thereby be a means to
bring down the grey hairs of their father with sorrow
to the grave : he concluded his speech with this peti-
tion ; ' Now therefore, I pray thee, let me thy ser-
vant (who have passed my word to my father for his
safe return) abide here a bondman to my lord instead
of the lad, and let the lad go up with his brethren. For
how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not
with me ? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall
come by that means upon my father.'
So sensibly was Joseph touched with this moving
speech of Judah, that finding he could no longer con-
tain himself, but that his affection would enforce him
to open himself unto his brethren, he gave order that
every one, bat they, should go out of the room from
him. Which was no sooner done, and he left alone
with them, but that, breaking forth into loud weeping,
vol. i. U
|7J4 SACRED HISTORY. PART I,
he said to his brethren, c I am Joseph ; doth my father
yet live?'
The name Joseph, with the sense of their own guilt,
and the power he now had over them, to revenge, if
he would, himself upon them, struck his brethren
with so great terror and confusion that they .could not
answer him a word. Which he observing, spake to
them again, in a kind tone, saying, c Come rear to me,
I pray you :' and being come near, he said to them,
4 1 am Joseph, your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.'
These last words renewing the remembrance of
their injustice and cruelty towards him, must needs
pierce deep ; where either guilt let in fear ; or repen-
tance sorrow. Joseph therefore, sensible of the hard-
ship they now were under, in tenderness to his breth-
ren, w ho had shewed none to him, to soften the for-
mer words, immediately added, 4 Now therefore be
not grieved nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold
me hither : for God did send me before you to pre-
serve life. For these two years hath the famine been
in the land, and there are five years yet to come, in
the which there shall be neither plowing nor harvest.
And God sent me before you, to preserve you a pos-
terity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great
deliverance. So now, added he, it was not ye that
sent me hither, but God.'
Thus did the good man endeavour to ease them,
by mitigating their offence, while himself looked over
and beyond the instruments, to him who disposes all
things for good to his. Not but that it was true enough
which he told them ; it was not they that sent- him
thither, but God. For they sold him to the Ishmael-
ites, who might have carried him whither they would ;
nor did they then matter whither he was carried, or
what became of him, so they could but get rid of him.
But it was God that directed him thither, and by vari-
ous steps of his providence brought him to that dr
and power there, that he might be his instrument in that
great work of preserving the family of the faiihfuj| and
saving much people alive. 4 And therefore, said Jc
PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 135
he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, (by counsel, care,
and providing for Pharaoh and his people ; which are the
properties of a father) and he hath made me lord of
all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of
Egypt.]
Having thus prepared them, he now proposes to
them what he had ail this while designed, the fetching
of his father, with the whole family of Israel, from
Canaan into Egypt. ' Haste you, said he to his bre-
thren, and go up to my father, and say unto him, thus
saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me Lord of all
Egypt : come down unto me, tarry not : and thou
shalt dwell in the land of Goshen ;' which was the
fruitfullest part of Egypt, especially of pasturage ; and
the shortest journey for him to make, as being nearest
to Canaan : ' And thou shalt be near unto me, thou
and thy children, and thy children's" children, and
thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast ;
and there will I nourish thee (for there are five years
of famine yet to come) lest thou and thy houshold,
and all that thou hast, come to poverty.'
And that no doubt might arise, or remain in any of
their minds, whether he was indeed their brother
Joseph, he wished them to observe, that he did not
now speak to them by an interpreter, as he had done
before he discovered himself to them : * For behold,
►said he, your eyes see, and the eyes of my, brother
Benjamin (whom my father will more especially re-
gard) that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you ; so
that ye may give my father full assurance that I am
alive. And ye shall tell my father of all mv glory in
Egypt, and of all that ye have seen : and then make
haste, and bring down my father hither.'
Then falling upon his brother Benjamin's neck, he
wept, and Benjamin wept upon his neck. After which,
as a seal of pardon of all former offences, and a general
amnesty to the rest of his brethren, he kissed them all
severally, and wept upon them. By which kind car-
riage encouraged, they afterwards discoursed famil-
iarly with him.
\o6 5.ACRED HISTORY. PART I.
The report of Joseph's brethren being come was
soon made known to Pharoah, whom it pleased well,
and his servants. Whereupon calling for Joseph, he
bid him say unto his brethren, this do ; l Lade your
beasts, and go, get you into the land of Canaan, and
take your father and your housholds, and come unto
me, and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt ;
and ye shall eat the fat of the land,' that is, the fruits
which the richest land produces. Now, said he to
Joseph, that thou hast my especial command for it,
bid them do this; 'Take you waggons out of the
land of Egvpt, for your little ones, and for your wives ;
and bring your father, and come, and regard not your
stuff; for the good of all the land of Egvpt is yours.' .
Joseph therefore, according to Pharaoh's command-
ment, appointed them waggons : furnishing them also
with provisions for the way. And for a present to
his father, he sent ten asses, laden with the good things
of Egypt, and ten she-asses laden with corn, and other
provisions for him by the way. And the more to
cheer his brethren, and confirm his love unto them,
he gave to each of them changes of raiment : but that
he might signally distinguish his brother Benjamin
from the rest, he gave him three hundred pieces of
silver, and five changes of raiment, or suits of clothes.
And fearing lest, in their journey, they should enter
into a debate who was most to be blamed for the injury
done to him, and by casting it each from himself upon
others, should raise a diiference among themselves, he
gave them this necessary caution ; i See that ye fall
not out by the way.' After which, dismissing them,
they departed out of Egypt, and came to their father
in the land of Canaan ; to whom, no doubt, they were
very welcome, not only for the provisions they brought
for his family, but because his sons, Simeon, and more
especially Benjamin, were come safe to him again.
But when they told their father, Joseph is yet alive,
and he is governor over all the land of Egypt; the
good old man had like to have died, through the oppo-
site workings of contrary passions, invading joy, and
£ART I. SACRED HISTORY. 137
renewed grief; for being on a sudden surprized with
such unexpected news, his doubtful heart, divided be-
tween hope and fear, fainted. For though natural af-
fection would prompt him to wish and hope it might
be true, yet his judgment would not quickly permit
him to believe that it was, or could be true. Nor did
they gain a full assent, though they related to him the
particular discourses which had passed between Joseph
and them, until he saw the waggons which Joseph had
sent to carry him ; and then the spirit of Jacob their
father revived. Then he cried out, c It is enough ;
Joseph my son is yet alive ;' tell me no more of the
dignity, power, riches, and honours he enjoys ; he is
alive, and that is enough : 4 I will go and see him be-
fore I die.'
Accordingly Israel took his journey, with all that he
had : and when he came to Beer-sheba, where the
Lord had appeared to his father Isaac, and blessed
him, and where his father had built an altar, and wor-
shipped the Lord, Gen. xxvi. 23, 24, 25, there he of-
fered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac. In,
doing which, it may well be supposed, he not only
gave him thanks for the preservation of his son Joseph,
and the safe return of his other sons, but supplicated
and implored his protection and blessing upon him and
his, in the journey he had now undertaken.
Here God spake unto Israel, in the visions of the
night; calling, Jacob, Jacob ; who answering here am
I ; the Lord said, ' I am God, the God of thy father ;
fear not to go (out of and from the land of Canaan,
which I have promised to thee and to thy seed for an in-
heritance) down into Egypt, a country where thy an-
cestors have been evily intreated : for I will there
make of thee a great nation. I will go down with
thee into Egypt, and I will also surely bring thee up
again: (that is, thy body to be buried and thy posterity '
to live in this land) and Joseph shall put his hand
upon thine eyes:' that is, shall close thy eye-lids when
thou diest. Whence Jacob, to his comfort, might
m 2
138 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
infer, that he should have a natural, not a violent
death ; and that his son Joseph should be with him
when he died.
Strengthened by this divine promise, Jacob left
Beer-sheba, and pursued his journey towards Egypt ;
his sons carrying both him and their little ones, with
their wives, in the waggons which Pharaoh had sent
to convey them. They took also with them their
cattle and their goods, which they had gotten in the
land of Canaan ; and came into Egypt, Jacob and all
his seed with him ; his sons, and his sons' sons ; his
daughters, and his sons' daughters. So we read it, in
a general way of speaking, such as Sarah used, when
she said, Who would have said to Abraham, that
Sarah should have given children suck ? Gen. xxi. 7,
who gave suck to but one child, Isaac : though strictly
Jacob had but one daughter, Dinah ; and but one
grand-daughter, Serah, the daughter of Asher, Gen.
xlvi. 15, 17.
Of Jacob's seed, which he brought with him into
Eg^fpt, the names are particularly expressed in this
chapter from ver. 8 to ver. 25, and both here and in
Deut. x. 22, are computed to be, in the whole num-
ber, threescore and ten persons. But because there
is an apparent difference between the account here
given by Moses, and that which is given by Stephen,
Acts vii. 14, the one reckoning the number seventy,
the other making it seventy-five ; I suppose it will not
be thought an unnecessary digression, if, making a
little stop here, I give the reader what a learned man,
De Bleu, has written for the reconciling that difference :
whose words, as I find them in Latin, quoted by Sa-
muel Cradock, in his -apostolical history, p. 39, on
Acts vii. 14, I will put in English, for the benefit of
such as do not read Latin.
1 Interpreters, says he, have been much puzzled to
reconcile this place with that of Gen. xlvi. 27, and
Deut. x. 22, where Moses mentions only seventy souls,
of Jacob's house, that entered into Egypt. But the
difficulty ijll.be small, if we say that the places are
PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 13*
not parallel ; for Moses makes a catalogue, in which,
together with Jacob, his own offspring only, they that
came out of his loins, are comprehended ; his sons'
wives being expressly excepted, ver. 26 : for which
reason, not only they who actually went into Egypt
with him, but Joseph also, with his two sons, Ephraim
and Manasseh, although they were already in Egypt
before, are contained in the number of seventy, be-
cause they having sprung from Jacob's loins, and taking
their original from the land of Canaan, did live as
strangers in Egypt, and therefore were justly to be
reckoned as if they had entered Egypt with Jacob.
A special reason also there is, why Hezron and Hamul,
the two grandsons of Judah by Phares, are put into
that number, although they were born afterwards in
Egypt, to wit, that they might supply the place of
Judah's two sons, Er and Onan, who were dead be-
fore. But in Stephen's oration, he doth not set forth
Jacob's genealogy, but declares who they were that
Joseph called out of the land of Canaan into Egypt.
For he called more than sprang from Jacob's loins :
and yet he did not call all those that sprang from Ja-
cob's loins. There, in the first place, Judah's two
grandsons, Hezron and Hamul, are to be shut out ;
and, in the next place, Joseph, with his two sons.
Judah's grandsons he could not call, because they
were not yet born : himself and his sons he could not
call, because they lived in Egypt already. Those five
therefore, and then Jacob himself, whom Stephen
mentions by himself, being set aside, there remain of
Moses' number seventy, but sixty-four ; to wit, the
eleven brethren, one sister, Dinah, and two and fifty
children of the brethren : to which if thou addest the
eleven wives of the eleven brethren, whom Joseph
must needs call together with their husbands, and
which belonged to the kindred, thou hast all his kin-
dred in threescore and fifteen souls.' Thus much for
the clearing of this doubt. Now let us return to our
history.
140 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
When Jacob drew near to the confines of Egypt, he
sent his son Judah before him unto Joseph, to receive
direction for going unto Goshen ; and into the land of
Goshen they came. Upon notice whereof, Joseph,
calling for his chariot, went up to Goshen, to meet
Israel his father, and presenting himself there unto
him, he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck for a
good while. It does not appear by the text, whether
at this congress Joseph fell on Jacob's neck, or Jacob
on Joseph's. Tremeilius and Junius make Jacob to
have fallen on Joseph's neck, which seems most likelys
and that, after he had wept there a good while, he
broke forth into that high expression of satisfaction.
and joy ; ' Now let me die, since I have seen thy face,
because thou art yet alive.'
After these endearments were somewhat over, Jo-
seph proposed unto them, that he would go and ac-
quaint Pharaoh with their being come ; and would let
him know, that they being shepherds, and dealers in
cattle, had brought their Hocks and their herds, and
all they had, with them: instructing his brethren
withal, that when Fharaoh should call for them, and
ask them what occupation they were of, they should
answer, ' Thy servants trade hath been about cattle,
from our youth even until now, both we and our fa-
thers ;' that so they might dwell in the land of Go-
shen. For the Egyptians, he told them, did so abomi-
nate shepherds, that they would net suffer them to
dwell promiscuously amongst them."*
Accordingly Joseph going to Pharaoh, acquainted
him that his father and his brethren, with their flocks
and their herds, and all that they had, were come out
of the land of Canaan, and were in the land of Go-
shen: and having taken five of his brethren with him,
he presented them unto Pharaoh : whom when Pha-
raoh had asked what was their occupation, they an-
swered, as Joseph before had instructed them, ' Thy
servants are shepherds, both we, and also our fathers :'
then added, ' to sojourn in the land are we come, for
* A. M. 2298.
FART I. SACRED HISTORY". 141
thy servants have no pasture for their flocks, because
the famine is sore in the land of Canaan. Now there-
fore, said they, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in
the land of Goshen.'
Pharaoh thereupon, turning his speech to Joseph,
said, 'c The land of Egypt is before thee ; and since
thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee, settle
them in the best of the land : in the land of Goshen
let them dwell. And if thou knowest any men of
activity amongst them, make them rulers over my
cattle.'
The way thus opened, Joseph brought in Jacob his
father, and having set him before Pharaoh, Jacob sa-
luted PharaGh ; (so both Pagnine, and Tremellius, and
Junius, render the place, and so it is translated in
1 Sam. xiii. 10.) and when Pharaoh asked him how
old he was, he with a circumlocution answered, ' The
days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred
and thirty years ; few, and evil, added he (that is,
subject to many troubles and afflictions) have the days
of the years of my life been : and have not attained
to the' days of the years of the life of my fathers in
the days of their pilgrimage.'
After a short visit thus made, Jacob taking his leave
of Pharaoh, went out from his presence. And Joseph
placed his father and his brethren in the land of Ra-
meses, which was the best of the land of Egypt ;
where he gave them a possession, as Pharaoh had
commanded. And there he nourished his father and
his brethren, and all his father's houshold ; providing
them food, according to their families, with that care
and tenderdess, as if they had been his children.
Thus lived Jacob seventeen years in the country of
Goshen, in the land of Egypt ; and he and his family,
having possessions therein, grew and multiplied exceed-
ingly. But when the time drew nigh that he must die,
he called his son Joseph, and said unto him, * If now
I have found favour in thy sight, put, I pray thee,
thine hand under my thigh (which was then the cere-
mony of an oath) and deal kindly and truly with me.
142 SACRED HIST XV;\ PART I
Bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt : but I will lie
with my fathers, and thou shaft cany me out of Egypt,"
and bury me in their burying-place.' Joseph promis-
ed to do as he had directed him ; but Jacob, desirous
of the fullest -assurance, pressed him to swear unto
him ; and Joseph, willing- to give his father the utmost
satisfaction, did swear accordingly. Which done, Is-
rael, leaning- upon his staff, Heb. xi. 21, bowed him-
self in token of thankfulness to the Lord, for that,
after all his other mercies, he had now given him a
fresh assurance, by Joseph's promise and oath, that
he should be carried out of Egypt into the promised
land.
It was not long after this, ere word was brought to
Joseph that his father was sick. Whereupon, taking
with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, he
went to visit his father; who being told that Joseph
was coming, strengthened himself, and sat upon the
bed. And when Joseph was come to him, he recount-,
ed to Joseph the promises which God had made to
him of the land of Canaan ; which Joseph, perhaps,
being separated from his father's family while he was
but a boy, might not before have heard of. ' God
Almighty, said Jacob, appeared unto me at Luz, in
the land of Canaan, and blessed me ; and said unto
me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply
thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people :
and I will give this land to thy seed after thee for an
everlasting possession.'
Twice had God appeared to Jacob at this place
called Luz. First, when he fled from his brother
Esau, and had that remarkable and very significant
dream, or vision, of the ladder reaching from earth to
heaven, Gen. xxviii ; and had the promise made unto
him, and the blessing now repeated by him. At which
time he changed the name of that place, calling it,
from that wonderful appearance of God to him, Beth-
el, the house of God ; which name it afterwards re-
tained, when it grew into a city. And there did
God appear to him again, at his return from Padaii-s.
TART I. SACRED HISTORY. 143
aram, Gen. xxxv. 1, and 7, and renewed and confirm-
ed unto him the promise he had made to Abraham, to
Isaac, and to himself before. And as Jacob at that
first time, gave the place a new name. Beth-el, so God
at this second time, gave Jacob a new name, Israel ;
thereby confirming the angel's word, Gen. xxxii. 28.
And after that Jacob had opened to Joseph the pro-
mise made of the land of Canaan to him and his seed,
or posterity after him ; he then proceeded to take
Joseph's two sons into a peculiar participation of this
promise. 4 And now, said he to Joseph, thy two sons
Ephraim and Manasseh, (for inverting the order of
their birth, he set the youngest first, of which he af-
terwards gave the reason) which were born unto thee
in the land of Egypt, before I came unto thee into
Egypt, are mine : (not mine as grand children only,
but mine as if they were my own immediate offspring,
begotten actually by myself.) As Reuben and Simeon,
they shall be mine ; so as to become, each of them, the
head of a distinct tribe in Israel ; and to enjoy the
privilege of primogeniture, in right of their father
Joseph, to whom the birth-right was transferred from
Reuben, because of Reuben's transgression against
his father, Gen. xxxv. 22, and chap. xlix. 4, with
1 Chron. v. 1, 2. But as for thy issue, which thou
begettest after them, or, if thou shalt beget any other
after them, they shall be thine, and shall be called by
the name of their brethren in their inheritance. Then
going on, he gave Joseph a brief account of the death
and burial of Rachel his mother.
Hitherto, it seems, he had not taken notice that Jo-
£eph?s sons were with him, but had spoken of them as
if they had been absent; but now, perceiving some-
body with him, though he could not well discern who,
• for his eyes being dim with age,he could not see so well
as to distinguish persons at a distance, and the lads
being young, stood between their father's knees) he
asked, c Who are these ?' Joseph answered, * They
are my sons.' Which was a direct answer to the
question ; yet Joseph, not thinking it full enough, but
144 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
having a pious regard to God, as the author of all
blessings, added, ' Whom God hath given me in this
place.' Jacob thereupon saying, 4 Bring them, I pray
thee, unto me, and I will bless them.' Joseph brought
them out from between his knees ; and bowing himself
towards the earth, set them near unto his father....
And Jacob kissing and embracing them, said to Jo-
seph, in a redundance of joy, c I was out of hopes cf
seeing thy face, and lo, God hath shewed me also thy
seed.'
Now Joseph, probably having observed that his fa-
ther, in naming them, had set Ephraim before Ma-
nasseh, ordered it so, when he brought them near to
his father, that by taking Ephraim in his right hand,
he put him towards his father's left hand ,• and taking
Manasseh in his left hand, put him towards his father's
right hand ; but Israel stretching out his right hand,
laid it upon the head of Ephraim who was the youn-
ger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding
his hands wittingly : for Manasseh was the first-born.
And he blessed Joseph, in blessing his children, say-
ing, 4 God, before whom my fathers Abraham and
Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long ^
unto this day, and the angel (Christ who is called the'
angel, or . messenger of the covenant, Mai. iii. 1.)
which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads :
r?nd let my name be named on them, and the name of
my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, (that is,-let them be
reckoned into our family, equally with the rest of my
sons) and let them grow into a multitude, in the midst
of the earth.'
It was not pleasing to Joseph, that his father laid his
right hand, which carried with it the preference and
chief regard, on the head of Ephraim : and supposing
it to be done through mistake or inadvertency, he held
up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's to <
Manasseh's head, saying withal, ' Not so, my father,
for this is my first-born ; therefore put thy right hand
upon his head.' But his father, not by human judg-
ment or affection, but by divine direction, refused,
PART I. SACRED lIISTORY> 145
saying, ' I know it, n\y son, I know it ; he also shall
become a peQple, and he also shall be great : but truly
his„younger brother shall be greater than he ; and his
' seed shall become a multitude of nations.' Then
adding to his former blessing, he said, c In thee shall
Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim, and
s,s Manasseh :* thus still setting Ephraim before Ma-
nasseh.
Then finding himself grow weaker, he said to Jo-
seph, behold, I die ; using the present time, to shew
his death was near at hand ; but God shall be with
you, and bring you again into the land of your fathers.
Moreover, said he to Joseph, ' I have given thee one
portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the
hand of the Amorite, with my sword and with my bow.'
Since Jacob was so peaceable a man, never, that we
read of, engaged in any martial enterprize, it may be
inquired how and when he took this portion of land,
which he here gave to Joseph, from the Amorite, with
his sword and his bow, or by force of arms. Some
refer it to that act of Simeon and Levi, Jacob's sons,
in destroying the inhabitants of Shechem, Gen. xxxiv ;
and so the annotators on that which, if I mistake not,
is called the Bishop's Bible, carry it. But that cannot
be ; for first, Jacob disavowed that act, and blamed
them for it, both then and now, Gen. xlix. 5, 6, 7. Se-
condly, those people of Shechem, whom they slew,
v/ere not Amorites, but Hivites, descended from Hivi,
the sixth son of Canaan, Gen. x. 17; whereas the
Amorites came from the fourth son of Canaan, ver,
16. Others take these words of Jacob in a prophetic
sense ; foretelling what he in his posterity should
do : and through the assurance of faith looking upon
it as done, undertook to dispose of a double portion,
the appendant to the birth-right to Joseph, on whom
he had conferred the birth-right, to be possessed by
His posterity.
Thus far the discourse had passed in private between
Jacob and his son Joseph only. But now perceiving
vol. i. N
146 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
his end to come on apace, he called his sons in general
together, that while he had strength to deliver his
mind, he might take his farewell of them, and not only
distribute his blessings amongst them, but foretell them
also what should befall them, and their offspring, in
after times.
' Gather yourselves together therefore, said he, and
hear, ye sons of Jacob, and hearken unto Israel your
father.' And they being thereupon attentive, he di-
rected his speech to them severally, beginning thus to
the eldest :
1 Reuben, thou art my first-born, my might, and the
beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity,
and the excellency of power.' In which words he set
before him both what he was, and what he should have
been, by the privileges and prerogatives he should
have enjoyed by his birth-right, if he had not forfeited
it and them ; and had he retained the right of primo-
geniture, he had excelled in dignity, by superiority
over his brethren ; and in power, from the double por-
tion of inheritance annexed in course'tothe birth-right.
But now, says he, ' Unstable as water, thou shalt not
excel.' Since thou didst not retain thy first station,
but like water didst fall downwards, thou shalt not
have the privilege of birth-right. And he adds the
reason, ' Because thou wentest up to thy father's bed,
(Gen. xxv. 22.) then defiledst thou it.' And, as if he
wTould appeal to the rest of his sons for the justice of
this sentence, he adds, l He went up to my couch.'
Having done with Reuben, Simeon and Levi came
next ; of whom, rather than to whom, he says, i Simeon
and Levi are brethren.' In a natural sense, so were
the rest ; another sense must therefore be sought : the
Bishop's Bible, by way of supplement, reads it, brethren
in evil ; and I think we need seek no further. The
following words confirm this sense, viz. c Instruments
of cruelty were in their habitations. O my soul, come
not thou into their secret ; unto their assembly, mine
honour, be not thou united : for in their anger they
slew a man, (which, by synecdoche, is put for all the
PART I. SACRED HISTORY, 14?
inhabitants of Shechem) and in their self-will they
digged down a wall,' (destroying and spoiling the city.)
4 Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce : and their
wrath, for it was cruel.' Thus their offence is set
forth : now follows their doom. 4 I will divide them
«n Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.' This dividing
may be applied to Simeon, whose tribe had not a dis-
tinct lot assigned them in Canaan, as the other tribes
had ; but they were thrust within the lot of Judah,
Josh. xix. 1, until in the time of Kezekiah king of
Judah, a party of them srnote the remainder of A ma-
lek, and seating themselves in their possessions, 1
Chron. iv. 4»2, were thereby divided from the rest of
their own tribe. As for the tribe of Levi, it was scat-
tered through all the tribes ; having no particular lot
or share in the land, as the other tribes had.
Hitherto smooth Jacob, the cause so requiring, had
been forced to speak roughly. But now he comes to
Judah, the good man's stile is altered : and Judah's
name signifying praise, leads him to praise Judah.
4 Judah,' said he, ' thou art he whom thy brethren
shall praise, (that is, for thy strength and valour) for
thine hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies, (that
is, when thou hast put them to flight, thou shalt pur-
sue them, lay hold of them, and destroy them) thy
father's children shall bow down before thee.' Where-
by, though the birth-right was transferred from Reu-
ben to Joseph, 1 Chron. v. 1, with respect to double
portion, yet that part or branch of the prerogative 01
primogeniture which concerned authority or govern-
ment over the rest, is plainly conferred on Judah ; and
so it is explained there, ver. 2, for Judah prevailed
above his'brethren, 'and of him came the chief ruler ;'
though the birth-right was Joseph's, viz. with respect
to the inheritance.
So ravished was good J^cob in the contemplation
of Judah's strength and glory," that it made him break
forth rhetorically, and display it in elegant figures....
* Judah,' said he, ' is a lion's whelp ; from the prey,
my son, thou art gone up. He stooped down ; he'
148 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
couched as a lion ; and as an old lion : who shall (dare
to) rouse him up V Then setting forth the duration of
his government ; ' The sceptre, said he, shall not de-
part from Judah, nor a law-giver from between his
feet, until Shiloh come ; and unto him shall the gather-
ing of the people be.' And pursuing his allegories,
to set forth the prosperity and plenty of Judah's tribe,
and the abundant fruitfulness of his soil, he added,
4 Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass' colt unto
the choice vine, he washed his garments in wine, and
his clothes in the blood of grapes.' As if wine should
be as plentiful and common with him as water.
And again, c His eyes shall be red with wine : and
his teeth white with milk.' As if he would raise an
emulation between the clustered vineyard and fruitful
pastures, in Judah's inheritance.
From Judah, still keeping in Leah's line, he passes
Issachar, and takes Zebulun ; whose name signifying
dwelling, he only says of him, l Zebulon shall dwell
at the haven of the sea ; and he shall be for an haven
of ships, and his border shall be unto Zidon.' Where
accordingly his lot came forth, Josh. xix. 11.
Then coming to Issachar, he says of him, c Issachar
is a strong ass, couching down between two burdens :
and he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was
pleasant ; and he bowed his shoulder to bear, and be-
came a servant unto tribute.' Whereby he foreshew-
ed, that though Issachar should be great and strong m
people, yet being naturally dull, and loving ease, they
would choose rather to suffer themselves to be imposed
upon by others, so they might peaceably enjoy their
fruitful and pleasant soil, than, by taking arms to vin-
dicate.themselves, disturb their own quiet.
Having gone through Leah's offspring, he takes the
handmaids' sons next j beginning with Dan of Bilhah,
Rachel's maid. Dan signifies judging; 'and Dan,'
said he, ' shall judge his people, as one of the tribes
of Israel.' This was fulfilled in Sampson : yet was
no more than Issachar did by Tola, Judg. x. 1. But
it is supposed, the reason why this was said to Dan,
TART I. SACRED HISTORY. 149
was to shew, that the sons of the handmaids, of which
Dan is the first named, though being born of bond-
women, they were in that respect inferior to the rest
of their brethren, should notwithstanding obtain some
share in the government. But he has this peculiar of
Dan, l That Dan shall be a servant by the way, an ad-
der in the path, that biteth the horse's heels, so that
his rider shall fall backwards.' By which he seems
to intimate, that the Danites should prevail more by
policy and stratagem, than by open wu; and plain
force. Which Sampson's dealing with the Philistines,
Judg. xiv and xv, and the Danites taking Laish, chap,
xviii, confirms. But doubtless something more than
ordinary impressed good Jacob's spirit at this time ;
which made him now cry out, ' I have waited for thy
salvation, O Lord.' Might he not have some sense
and foresight of the mischief the Danites afterwards
brought upon themselves, when having rifled Micah's
house, and robbed him of his gods, they fell into open
idolatry, Judg. xviii.
Of Gad, alluding also to his name, he said, ' A
troop shall overcome him ; but he shall overcome ac
the last.' By which he is thought to have referred to
what was afterwards performed by Jephthah, of that
tribe, Judg. xi.
Of happy Asher, he said, 4 His bread shall be fat,
and he shall yield royal dainties.' To much" like pur-
pose Moses afterwards said of him, ' Let him dip his
foot in oil,' Deut. xxxiii. 24 ; each referring to the
exuberant richness of his soil.
4 Napthtali,' said he, cis an hind let loose : he giveth
goodly words.' By an hind let loose, some think is
meant a ready aptness to wage war, and nimbleness to
pursue enemies. But since the property of an hind
is not to pursue, but to fly, it seems rather to imply
a promptitude and dexterity in escaping dangers : to
which the other part of the sentence, he giveth goodly
words, agrees well ; intimating that he will rather by
deprecation appease, than by arms provoke an adver-
150 SACRED HISTORY. TART I.
sary. And therein he appears most like his father,
who appeased his angry brother Esau, Gen. xxxii and
xxxiii.
He is now come to Joseph; of whom and to whom,
he speaks, as if he could hardly say enough, or high
enough. l Joseph,' says he, i is a fruitful bough, a
fruitful bough by a well, whose branches run over the
wall.' By which rhetorical amplifications he sets
forth the strength of Joseph's family, and the large ex-
tent of his two-fold tribe, Ephraimand Manasseh (the
two branches that run over the wall) which at the first
numbering of the tribes, yielded of men able to go
forth to war threescore and twelve thousand and se-
ven hundred, Numb, i ; and at the second numbering
fourscore and five thousand and two hundred, Numb,
xxvi, far exceeding any other tribe.
Having set forth his future greatness in his poste-
rity, he looked back, and remembered his past trou-
bles, 4 The archers,' said he, l have sorely grieved
him, and shot at him, and liated him.' Amongst
these archers, his brethren may undoubtedly claim the
-ftrst place : for they are expressly said to have hated
him, Gen. xxxvii. 4 ; and to have increased their hatred
to him, ver. 5 and 8 ; to have conspired his death, v.
\ 8 ; and afterwards to have sold him, v. 28. Next to
them his lewd mistress, and (by her means) his jeal-
ous master Potiphar may be ranked amongst those
archers that sorely grieved him. l But his bow (said
Jacob, continuing the metaphor) abode in strength,
and the arms of his hands (the hands of his arms,
says another translation ; and why net his arms and
hands ?) were made strong, by the hands (speaking
alter the manner of men) of the mighty God of Ja-
cob : from thence is the shepherd the stone of Israel.*
So the last English translation has it, making the shep-
herd and stone synonymous. The Bishop's Bible
reads it, l of whom was the feeder appointed by the
sloae pf Israel ;' taking the stone to be Christ, and
the shepherd or feeder appointed by him to be Joseph.
Pagmne turns it, poscens lafiitfem, feeding the stone*
PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 151
But Tremelllus and Junius make Joseph to be both
the shepherd and the stone, viz. of refuge to Israel.
There is an ellipsis or defect in the sentence, which
interpreters supply as they think best. However it
be taken, undoubtedly Jacob had regard, in the pas-
sage, as to Joseph's constant resisting the assaults of
his mistress, and manfully bearing the severity of his
master : so also to his taking care of, and feeding
both Israel, the Egyptians, and others, as a shepherd
provides for his flock. To which condition and capa-
city he was advanced c by the God (said Jacob to him)
of thy father, who shall help thee, (to go through the
good work thou art engaged in) and by the Al-
mighty, who shall bless thee with the blessings of
heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under,
blessings of the breasts, and of the womb.' (Terms
comprehensive of all outward blessings.) Then add-
ing, c The blessings of thy father have prevailed above
the blessings of my progenitors, unto the utmost bound
of the everlasting hills ;' he heaps them all on Joseph,
saying, f They shall be on the head of Joseph, and on
the crown of the head of him that was separate from
his brethren ;' which was Joseph.
Having done with Joseph, there remained only Ben-
jamin, the younger of whom he said, c Benjamin shall
raven as a wolf : in the morning he shall devour the
prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.' Where-
by he briefly, but aptly, seth forth the fierce and cruel
nature of that tribe ; made good amongst other in-
stances in that of the Levite's concubine, whose story
is in Judges xix, xx, xxi.
When Jacob had thus spoken to his sons, and bles-
sed them every one (not according to his own natural
affection or inclination, but according to the divine di-
rection given him) he put them again in mind of his
death, saying, c I am to be gathered unto my people ;'
and then he gave them this charge, 4 Bury me with
my fathers, in the cave that is in the field of Ephron
the Hittite.' Which, that they might not mistake, he
further describes thus ; c In the cave that is ia the
152 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
field of Macphelah, which is before Mamre in the land
of Canaan ; which Abraham bought with the field of
Ephron the Hittite, for a possession of a burying-
place.' And to engage them the more to do it he
tells them, 4 There Abraham and Sarah his wife were
buried ; there Isaac and Rebekah his wife were buri-
ed ; and there,' added he, c I buried Leah.' (Of
which two women, Rebekah and Leah, no mention
was made before with respect to either death or burial.)
And to assure them of their right to that burying-
place, he tells them further, c The purchase of the
field, and of the cave that is therein, was from (not
Ephron only, but) the children of Heth.'
Now when Jacob had made an end of command-
ing his sons about his burial, he gathered up his feet
into the bed, a posture denoting ease and quiet rest,
and, yielding up the ghost, was gathered unto his
people.*
But pious Joseph could not part with so good a
father, without giving the utmost demonstrations of
filial affection and duty. Wherefore, falling upon his
father's face, he wept upon him, and kissed him : and
having thereby given some vent unto his passion, he
commanded his servants the physicians to embalm
him ; which accordingly they did.
This being the first mention we have in story of
embalming the dead, may well countenance a suppo-
sition, that the Israelites here learning it of the Egyp-
tians, and practising it afterwards on great and solemn
occasions amongst themselves, as in 2 Chron. xvi. 14,
and John xix. 40, it might from them come into use
among Christians.
After the set time for solemn mourning was over,
(which it seems, for persons embalmed, was forty
days ; but the Egyptians, to shew their respect to Jo-
seph, mourned for him seventy days) Joseph intreat-
ed some of Pharaoh's courtiers, for mourners might
not come into the king's presence, to acquaint him
that his father, just before his death, had made him
* A, M. 2315,
PART I. SACR.ED HISTORY. 153
swear, that he would bury him in the grave that he
had digged for himself in the land of Canaan ; and
therefore to beg leave of Pharaoh for him to go and
bury his father, under promise to come again. Pha-
raoh forthwith granted his request ; bidding him, by
the messengers, go up, and bury his father, accord-
ing as he had made him swear.
Leave thus obtained, Joseph set forward to his fa-
ther's burial ; and with him went up, to honour Jo-
seph, and grace the funeral, the chief servants of Pha-
raoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the
land of Egypt, and all the house of Joseph, and his
brethren, and his father's family : only their little
ones, their flocks, and their herds, they left in the
land of Goshen ; and there went up with him of cha-
riots and horsemen, a very great company.
Being come to a place they call the threshing floor
of Atad, they there made a stand ; and Joseph made
a solemn mourning for his father seven days together.
And they mourned there with so great and very sore
lamentation, that the Canaanites, who inhabited the
land, observing it, said, 4 This is a grievous mourn-
ing to the Egyptians :' from whence the name of that
place was called Abel-mizraim ; that is, tiie mourning
of the Egyptians.
This solemn mourning ended, they went on ; and
being come to the land of Machpelah, which Abra-
ham had bought for a possession of a burving place of
Ephron the Hittite before Mamre, they buried J
in the cave there. And having performed their fa-
ther's command, they all returned into Egypt.
While Jacob lived, Joseph's brethern thought them-
selves safe, having him their advocate ; but now that
their father was gone, their guilt renewed their fear.
And as they knew they had given Joseph cause enough ;
so, judging of him by themselves, they concluded he
would certainly now requite them all the evil they had
done unto him. Wherefore, to deprecate their offence,
and procure favour, they consulted together; and
having framed a message in their father's name, whose
154 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
memory they well knew Joseph did most affection-
ately reverence, they sent a messenger with it to him,
in these words :
6 Thy lather did command, before he died, saying,
so shall ye say unto Joseph ; forgive, I pray thee now,
the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin ; for they
did evil unto thee.*' And having thus smoothed their
way, they add their own petition thus : ' And now,
we" pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of
the God of thy father.' Wherein with great art
they made use of the most moving arguments ; the
supposed request of his dying father, that he. would .
forgive them, not only as they were his brethren, his
flesh and his blood ; but such also as profess to wor-
ship the same God that both he and his father wor-
shipped.
Joseph could not forbear to weep, when this mes-
sage was delivered to him ; partly perhaps from the
renewed remembrance of the thing, and more for the
ill opinion and diffidence his brethren had of him.
But v/hen they, having by this softening message pre-
pared him, came themselves, and falling down before
his face, said, ' Behold, we are thy servants,' he bid
them not fear ; for, said he, ' Am I in the place of
God, (to whom vengeance belongs) that I should
avenge myself ? As for you, added he, I know ye
thought evil against me ; but God meant it unto good,
that I might be an instrument, under him, to save
much people alive ;' and you especially, as it now
appears. Then comforting them, and speaking kindly
to them, said, c Now, therefore, fear ye not any hurt
from me ;' for I will be so far from revenging myself
upon you, that c I will nourish both you and your lit-
tle ones.'
Broughton sets Jacob's death in the six and fiftieth
year of Joseph's life, who, living four and fifty years
after, saw his great grand-children by his son Manas-
seh, and the children of Ephraim to the third genera-
tion : for Ephraim, according to Jacob's prophesy,
Gen, xlix. 19, increased faster than Manasseh.
PART 1. SACRED HISTORY. \5$
But when Joseph found his death drew near, he
called his brethren,* by which I do not understand the
other eleven sons of Jacob, who, except Benjamin,
being all older than himself, might probably be all or
most of them dead ; but, the heads of their families,
and his own sons : for, in scripture dialect, all near
kinsmen go under the general appellation of brethren,
as Abraham called Lot, Gen. xiii. 8 ; see also chap.
xxiv. 27. And he said unto them, i I die, (or my
death is at hand) and God will surely visit you, and
bring you out of this land, unto the land which he sware,
(that is, gave and confirmed by oath) unto Abraham, to
Isaac, and to Jacob.' And Joseph took an oath of the
children of Israel, that when God should visit them,
as he certainly would, and should bring them out of
that land, ' they should carry up his bones from
thence with them.' Then being an hundred and ten
years old, he died ; and, being embalmed, was put in
?v coffin in Egypt.
* A. M. 2369.
•HE END O? THE BOOK OF GENESIS,
THE
3800ft of gob,
Although it seems that Moses, intent to deliver
the history of Jacob's family entire, and for that rea-
son unwilling to cut the thread of that discourse, hath
cast back the story of Job, of which he is by some
supposed to be the writer, that he might in an unin-
terrupted series set forth the account of the Israelites'
servitude in Egypt, and deliverance out of Egypt ;
yet, since there is good ground to conclude that Job
lived between Jacob and Moses, in the time that Is-
rael was in Egypt, I chuse rather, leaving Joseph at
rest in his coffin, and the Israelites restless under their
burdens, which after Joseph's death fell upon them,
to insert the story of Job in this place, than to bring
it in so far out of its due course of time, as the com-
pilers of the Bible have set it.
Who Job was is not agreed ; some would have him
to have descended from Nahor, the son of Terah,
and brother of Abraham ; induced perhaps so to think
from Uz, the name of the land in which he dwelt ;
which they suppose to have been inhabited by Nahor's
sons, the eldest of which was named Huz, Gen. xxii.
21. But since Shem had a grandson named Uz, Gen.
xxiii, long before Nahor was'born, why might not
that land take name from him, as well as from Nahor's
son ?
Others take him to be Jobab the son of Zerah, the
son of Revel, the son of Esau, by Bashemath the
daughter of Ishmael. But he cannot be Jobab (says
FART I. SACRED HISTORY. 157
Broughton in his consent of Script, ad. an. mund.
2430) for he (Jobab) died some ages before Moses
was king in Israel.
Others hold him to have sprung from Abraham by
Keturah, which is most likely. Broughton, ubi supra,
is positive : Job, says he, is of Abraham by Keturah.
He is said to be the greatest for riches of all the men
of the east, Job. i. 3 j into which country Abraham
sent his sons by Keturah, Gen. xxv. 6. And amongst
the children of the east are reckoned the Midianites,
Judg. vi. 3, descended from Midian, one of Abraham's
sons by Keturah, Gen. xxv. 2.
From the uncertainty who Job was, some have taken
the liberty to question whether he was at all ? whether,
in point of fact, it be strictly true, that there was such
a man, named Job, who underwent those trials and
sufferings, which in this book are recorded of him?
Or whether it was only an instructive and parabolical
poem, devised and composed by some of the devout
ancients, on purpose to instil into the reader those
excellent principles delivered in it. But besides other
arguments that might be urged to prove the reality of
the story, drawn from the names of persons, people,
countries, and from particular passages therein men-
tioned ; the credit given to it by God, through his
prophet Ezekiel, chap, xiv, ver. 14, and his apostle
James, chap, v, ver. 1 1 , in citing it, and referring to
it, is enough, I think, to gain belief, with all who
have a due regard to those writings, that it is a real
history.
Whoever he was, that he lived before the law may
be gathered from his offering burnt offerings, with
acceptance and commendation, in the land of Uz,
where he lived ; which by the law were forbidden to
be offered in any other place, than that which the
Lord should chuse in some one of the tribes of Israel,
Deut. xii, xiii, xiv.
That he lived after Jacob, may be inferred from
the character given him by God, Job i. 8, and ii. 3;
vol. i. o
15S SACRED HISTORY. 1'ART I.
4 That there was none like him in the earth for up-
rightness and fear of God.' Which high encomium
may not be allowed to any, much less a Gentile, while
Jacob lived, who was descended from the father of
the faithful, the friend of God, Abraham, in a direct
line of the promised seed, Isaac ; nor well while Jo-
seph lived.
Though the exact time of his birth cannot with
sufficient ground be ascertained ; yet there is a pretty
general concurrence in opinion that he lived in the
time of Israel's bondage in Egypt. And some chro-
nologers have adventured to place his birth in the
same year in which Jacob went down into Egypt ; and
to date the beginning of his trials in the year that Jo-
seph died, being the seventy-first of Job's life ; and
set Job's death in the second year after Israel's depar-
ture out of Egypt, of his age the two hundred and
seventeenth: so allowing him seventy years before
his trials, seven years in them, and an hundred and
forty years after them, according to Job xlii. 16.
But I should think it less liable to exception, if Job's
birth were set a little lower, about the time of Jacob's
death ; and then Joseph, who survived his father fifty
and four years, will have been dead about sixteen
years before that extraordinary character was given of
Job, in the seventieth year of his age. At which
time he might well, for aught appears, be without
competitor or equal. And there being somewhat more
than sixty years between Joseph's death and Moses?
birth, the story of Job may fitly enough fall within
that interval of time.
The book of Job, says Broughton, ubi supra, in
order of time falleth out before Exodus. And the
whole book, says he, is a divine commentary on Gen-
esis, So that there cannot reasonably be expected
from it any great store of historical observations.
As to the stile wherein it is written, Hierom, in his
prologue to it, says, from the beginning of the book to
the first words of Job, chap. iii. S, it is in the Hebrew
written in prose. From thence to those last words
PAJIT I. SACRED HISTORY. IolJ
v/e have of Job, * Wherefore I abhor myself, and re-
pent in dust and ashes,' chap. xlii. 6, it is written in
hexameter verse. And from thence ^ %he. enc* of the
book in prose again.
Job is adorned with an excellent character given
him by God himself; that he was a perfect and an
upright man ; and to shew what was meant by that, it
is oddcd, one that feared God and eschewed (that is,
shunned) evil, chap. i. 1.
His condition in the world is set forth, both in gen-
eral, and in particulars. In general, that he was the
greatest'ef all the men of the east. In particulars,
that he had seven thousand sheep, and three thousand
camels ; and five hundred yoke of oxen ; and live
hundred she asses, ver. 3.
He had seven sons and three daughters, ver. 2, not
like himself, but given to worldly pleasures. And
being grown up, and removed from him, they took
their turns to feast from house to house, every one
his day, and invited their sisters to feast with them,
ver. 4. But when they had gone their round, good Job,
considering the danger that attends such jollity, and
fearing lest his children, in their merriments, should
have sinned, and spoken or thought irreverently of*
God, sent and sanctified them, and rising up early in
the morning, he offered burnt offerings for them, ac-
cording to the number of them all. And thus he did
from time to time after their revelling feasts, ver. 5.
This pious care of good Job was very acceptable to
God, who set a more than ordinary value on him ; in-
somuch that, when afterwards the sons of God came
to present themselves before the Lord, as we read thev
did, Job i. 6, and Satan the adversary, for so the
word signifies, came also among them, to see what
mischief he could do unto them ; God, to set forth
Job as an exemplary of virtue and righteousness, said
to Satan, l Hast thou considered my servant Job, that
there is none like him in the earth,' which thou hast
been encompassing, and walking to and fro in a per-
fect and upright man, one that feareth God, and es-
cheweth or shunneth evil.
160 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
The malignant adversary, not willing to acknow-
ledge that Job served God from a right religious prin-
ciple, but for self-ends, answered, ' Doth Job serve
God for nought ? Hast not thou made an hedge about
him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on
every side ? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands,
and his substance is increased in the land : (as if he
had said, thou hast made him rich, and dost protect
him from all trouble and danger) but put forth thy
hand now, and touch (so as to destroy) all that he
hath, and see if he do not curse thee to thy face,' ver.
9, 10, 11.
God knew the integrity of Job ; and that the exer-
cise thereof might redound to his honour, and turn
to the good example of others, he exposed him to the
trial. ,c Behold,' saith the Lord to Satan, l ail that he
hath is in thy power ; only upon himself put not forth
thy hand,' ver. 12.
Hence it appears that Satan hath no power over
them that truly fear God, till he permit it. But now,
having got this permission, he who goes about like a
roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, 1. Pet. v.
8, needed no spur. Away goes he, and stirs up his
* evil agents to ruin good Job.
It was not long ere Job's children were all got to-
gether, feasting and making merry at his eldest son's
house, ver. 13. That time took Satan to begin with
Job. He had in readiness stirred up the Sabeans, a
neighbouring people, descended from Sheba, grandson
of Abraham by Keturah, Gen. xxv. 3, to make an
inroad upon Job for booty, which they did ; where-
upon a messenger came to Job, and said, ' The oxen
were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them, and
the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away : and
moreover they have slain the servants with the edge
of the sword ; and I only am escaped alone to tell
thee,' ver. 14, 15.
Though this must be a very great loss, to lose a
thousand oxen and five hundred asses at once ; yet this
might look butlike a common depredation, which might
PART I, SACRED HISTORY. 161
befall any one that lived within the reach of such free-
booters ; and so might not be taken by Job for a judg-
ment from God upon him ; which Satan knew would
be the thing that would most sensibly touch him :
wherefore he who is called the prince of the power of
the air, Ephes. ii. 2, and who, through his beastly in-
strument, is said to have afterwards made fire to come
down from heaven upon the earth in the sight of men,
Rev. xiii. 13, by raising corruscations, or fiery flashes
jn the air, destroyed Job's sheep. Whereupon, while
the first messenger was telling the evil tidings of the
Sabean plunder, another came to Job, and said, 4 The
fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burnt up
the sheep and the servants, and consumed them ;
and I only am escaped alone to tell thee,' ver. 16.
While he was yet speaking, steps in a third, and
says, ; The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell
upon the camels, and have carried them away ; yea,
and slain the servants with the edge of the sword j
and I only am escaped alone to tell thee,' ver. IT.
Thus was Job stripped of all his substance in one
day ; and he that was in the morning the richest man
in all the east, was ere night perhaps the poorest man
in all the world : yet did not all these losses draw a
murmur from good Job.
Satan probably, from the calm temper wherewith,
Job received the first of these messages, might per-
ceive that these strokes were too remote to raise that
passion he desired in Job ; he therefore resolved to
strike Job in a more sensible part; and to come as
near him as the bound set him would permit. ' This
prince of the air therefore, raising a very great tem-
pest of wind, threw down the house wherein Job's
children were then feasting, upon their heads ; and
with the fall thereof slew them all. And that Job
might have no respite, or time to digest the grief of
his former losses ; before the last messenger had made
an end of relating to him the loss of his camels, ano-
ther rashes in and says, c Thy sons and thy daughters
o 2
162 SACRED HISTORY. PART I,
were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brothers
house, and behold their came a great wind from the
wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house,
and it fell upon the young men (which, from the dig-
nity of the masculine gender, comprehends both sexes)
and they are dead ; and I only am escaped alone to
tell thee",' ver. 18, 19.
This stroke reached Job indeed, and sensibly touch-
ed him, both in his nature and in his judgment. His
nature was wounded in the death of his children ; his
judgment was troubled at the manner and circumstan-
ces of their death ; considering how ill-employed
death found them, how unprepared they were to die.
Yet did not Job, now that they were dead, offer burnt-
offerings, or make expiations for them, as before he
used to do after their feastings, while they were alive.
He knew, no doubt, that i in the place where the tree
falleth, there it shall be,' Eccles. xi. 3.
But though Job's grief was doubtless very great,
yet did it not transport hirn into any violent or irre-
gular passion. For it is said, ' He arose, and rent
his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon
the ground and worshipped.' Rending the mantle
and shaving the head, were outward tokens of afflic-
tion and great sorrow, much used in those eastern
countries, and early ages of the world. And as the
shaving of the head, being a deliberate act, shews it
was not the effect of a sudden or rash resentment ; so
iiis falling down upon the ground, and worshipping,
shews he received these afflictions with an humble
submissive mind, bowing under them to the hand of
the Lord, without whose permission, he well knew
none of these things could have befallen him, ver. 20.
Now watched Satan, in hopes that Job would have
broken forth into some intemperate and indecent
speech against God ; when, to his great disappoint-
ment, Job only said, 4 naked came I out of my mo-
ther's womb, and naked shall I return to the earth.
(The common womb or mother of mankind.) The
Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away ; blessed
beUie name of the Leal,' yer, %U
PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 163
In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God with
folly, v. 22, for he acknowledged that he never had
any thing but what he received from God ; that if it
had not been taken from him, he must in a while have
left it, and gone as naked out of the world as he came
into it ; that it was but just, that he who gave should
have power, when he pleased, - to take back what he
had given. And lastly, instead of cursing God'to his
face, which Satan had suggested he would do, he bles-
sed God for what had befallen him ; and thereby
proved Satan a liar to his face.
Bat it was not long ere this restless adversary, want-
ing more work, and presenting himself before the
Lord when the sons of God came to present them-
selves, (a form of speech, not strictly proper to God
and spirits, but metaphorically accommodated to the
weakness of man's capacity) the Lord proposed Job
again to him, as an instance of a perfect and an up-
right man, that feared God and shunned evil : ' And
still, said he, he holdeth fast his integrity, although
thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without
cause.' 4 O ! said Satan, skin for skin ; yea, all that
a man hath will he give for his life.* As if he had
said, thou hast hitherto suffered me to touch him but
at a distance : I have not yet come so near as his skin ;
so that he has yet felt nothing in his own person. But
put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his
flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face, Job. ii. 3, 4, 5.
The Lord knew that these exercises, though sharp
to nature, would not only redound to his glory, but;
turn to the great advantage of Job : and therefore re-
solving to bear him up through them, that Satan should
not prevail over him, and to recompense all his suf-
ferings with an aoundant reward in the end, he let out
Satan's chain a link further, saying, 4 Behold he is in
thy hand ; but spare his life.' Satan, glad of this en-
largement of power, quickly fell upon poor Job, and
4 smote him with sore and grievous boils, from the
sole of his foot to the crown of his head,' ver. 6, 7.
164 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
Now was Job, if ever any man was, in a deplorable
condition ; his body as it were, studded and covered
over with blotches, boils, Wanes, carbuncles and filthy
ulcers : no part free from top to toe. And these not
arising from some peccant humour in his natural con-
stitution, which would soon be spent, or might by me-
dicine be corrected or purged out -T but inflicted by
the envious one, whose malicious policy would doubt-
less raise them to the highest extremity, that he might
thereby, if possible, drive Job to blaspheme God.
Well therefore may we conclude, that Job underwent
the most exquisite and inexpressible pains ; and that
not for a fit, a pang, a spurt, a short time, but for a
continued series of time, as will further appear anon.
And that which increased his misery, was the foul-
ness of his distemper, which rendered him not only
abhorrent to himself, but loathsome to all that were
about him. So that not only his relations and friends
abandoned him, but his very menial servants with-
drew from him, leaving him destitute of all human
help.
Of this, in his mournings, he afterwards complain-
ed, saying, ' Mine acquaintance are verily estranged
from me. My kinsfolk have failed, and my familiar
friends have forgotten me. They that dwell in my
house, and my maids, count me for a stranger : I am
an alien in their sight. I called my servant, and he
gave me no answer : no, though I entreated him with
my mouth,' Job xix. ver. 13, 14, 15, 16.
Consider him there sitting. Ke that but the other
day was l the greatest of all the men of the east, chap,
i. 3 ; before whom the young men hid themselves,
and the aged arose and stood up, chap. xxix. 8 ; the
princes retrained talking, and the nobles held their
peace,' ver. 9, 10 : see him now sitting in the ashes,
covered with ulcerous sores and corruption, scraping
himself with a potsherd ; the foulest of objects, and,
as one of the ancients said of him, a dunghill upon a
dunghill.
PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 165
His wife, who with the rest had forsaken him, and
kept at a distance from him, which made him say,
4 My breath is strange to my wife,' chap. xix. 17,
now came ; with what intention is somewhat uncertain,
whether of pity or scorn : but certain it is, that what
she said to him was so far from relieving him, that it
added to his sorrow.
Her words to him are rendered thus, ' Dost thou
still retain thine integrity ? Curse God, and die,' chap,
ii. 9. But from the ambiguity of the equivocal word
in the Hebrew, which signifies alike to bless, as to
curse, disagreement hath arisen amongst interpreters ;
and the words have been read by divers diversely.
They that make Job's wife to bid him curse God,
and die, suppose Job to have lived, and these exer-
cises to have befallen him, after the law was given,
Lev it. xxiv. 15, 16 ; which made it death to curse
God : and that his wife, an Arabian and heathen,
knew the law, and the punishment for blasphemy ;
and spake thus to him, not to reproach him, but in
pity to him, that he might be delivered from his pains.
Whereas, not only general consent places Job before
Moses, and God's accepting and commending his sa-
crifices, offered in the land of Uz, proves he lived
before the law ; which made it penal for any to offer
sacrifice in any other place than before the ark or
tabernacle ; insomuch that devout Gentiles came thi-
ther to worship ; of which an instance is in the Ethio-
pian eunuch, Acts viii. 27. But if Job had lived af-
ter this law was given, yet unlikely it is that his wife
should so soon have learned it, at such a distance :
nor was it obliging to Gentiles, unless living among
and under the Jews; neither was there any in the
land Of Uz who had power to have executed such
a law on Job, had he cursed, a3 these suppose she
bade him.
Others render her words, Dost thou yet retain
thine integrity, blessing God, and yet dying ? making
her to use a most bitter sarcasm to her husband. As if
she had said, Dost thou yet retain thy integrity to such
166 SACKED HISTORY. - PART I.
a God, as, though thou continually biessest him, yet
holds thee in a lingering death, under these insup-
portable pains ? But since Satan's design was to make
Job curse God, why may it not be supposed that he
instigated her to persuade her husband to it ; not with
respect to any penal law that she knew, or thought
could take hold of him, but with expectation that so
open and bold a blasphemy would provoke the divine
justice immediately to strike him dead, and thereby
deliver him from his intolerable miseries ?
Hcwevti it was, certain it is, from Job's answer,
though of the mildest, for so sharp an irony as that
above, that he understood her not to mean well.
4 Thou speakest, (said he to her) as one of the foolish
women speaketh. What, added he, shall we receive
good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive
evil?' Shall we rejoice in prosperity, when he gives
it us ? and shall we not patiently bear adversity, when
he suffers it to come upon us ?
Thus was Job preserved hitherto, that neither the
loss of his estate, the untimely death of his children,
the extremity of his pains, the ingratitude of his
friends, the undutifulness of his servants, nor the pro-
vocation of his wife, drew him to utter an offending
word. ' In all this Job did not sin with his lips,' Job
ii. 10.
But now Job had some particular friends that lived
at a- distance, as well from one another, as from him.
These wTere, Eliphaz the Temanite, so called from
Teman, grandson to Esau, by his son Eliphaz, Gen.
xxxvi. 10, 11; Bildad the Shuhite, descended from
Shuah, the youngest son of Abraham by Keturali,
Gen. xxv. 2 ; and Zophar the Naamathite, whose de-
scent is not- easily traced, without straining; though
some would derive him from Esau.
When these had heard of all the evil, that is, afflic-
tion, that was come upon Job, they made an appoint-
ment to go together to visit him, to mourn with him,
and to comfort him, ver. 11. Now these being great
men (the Septuagint calls them Kings) it must tafc$
PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 167
up some considerable time for them, after they had
heard of Job's affliction, to appoint their place and
time to meet at ; and then to travel in company to
him. So that many a tedious day, and many a rest-
less night, had poor Job with patience undergone his
dolorous pains, before these friends of his came to him.
When they came within sight of him, it was some
time before they could assure themselves that it was
he, so greatly was he altered, and so unlike himself.
But when, being come nearer, they saw the miserable
condition he was in, they jointly lifted up their voices
and wept ; and rending every one his mantle, they'
sprinkled dust upon their heads towards heaven, to ex-
press their sorrow for him, ver. 12. And seeing the
extreme grief that was upon him, they sat down by
him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and
none spake a word unto him, ver, 13. Either their
own sorrow suppressing their speech ; or, their sense
of his misery making them think it unseasonable for
them to speak to him till he began.
At length, the seven days and nights being over,
Job brake silence, and cursing (not God, but) the day
of his birth, in mournful rhetoric wished he had never
been born, or that he had immediately died, chap. iii.
This gave occasion to Eliphaz, who with the other
two. had already conceived an ill opinion of him, from
the unaccountable greatness of his affliction, which
they concluded must needs be a severe hand of God
in judgment upon him, either for some deep hypocrisy,
or secret heinous sin, to fall sharply upon Job. And
Eliphaz, in three orations, contained in chap, iv and
v, xv and xxii ; Bildad in as many, in chap, viii, xviii
' and xxv ; and Zophar, in two, chap, xi and xx ; from
common topics, that such affliction as his could not
come from any but God's hand; and that it is not
agreeable to the justice of God to afflict without cause,
or punish without guilt, they charged Job with being
a grievous sinner, and a great hypocrite, labouring
hard to extort from him a confession of his guilt.
168 SACRED HISTORY, PART I.
Job, on the contrary, being immoveably assured of
his innocency, of the cleanness of his hands, and the
uprightness of his heart towards God, would never
yield to their charges, to make himself guilty, by ac-
knowledging guilt where none was ; but, in responsory
orations, successive to every one of theirs, defended
himself, refuted their suggestions, maintained his own
innocency, and reprehended both their injustice and
want of charity. And whereas they, in their several
^eeches, had interspersed sharp reflections, severe
censures, biting ironies, and bitter taunts upon him ;
^[p in answers used liberty of speech towards them,
not sparing sometimes to give them sharp and pinch-
ing repartees : yet always observing a submissive and
humble stile, tempered with great regard and reve-
rence, when he spake of, or to God. But not seeing
the secret end the Lord had in suffering this trial to
come upon him, he often, and with great importunity,
begged a dicharge and release out of this life : that
(hopeless of relief by any other way) he might there-
by be freed from the misery he was in, lest extremity
of continued pains should drive him to impatience.
Now when Job had silenced these three trouble-
some friends of his, one that was present, and had
heard their discourses on both sides, being full of
warm zeal both against Job and them ; against Job
for that, as he apprehended, he had justified himself,
rather than God; and against them, because they had
condemned Job, and yet had not convicted him, but
given him over, and let him go off with the last word,
undertook the matter.
This was Elihu, a young man, descended from Buz,
the son of Nahor, Abraham's brother, Gen. xxii. 21,
and of the kindred of Ram or Aram, Nahor's grand-
son, (ibid) from whom the Aramites or Syrians came.
He, having made a prefatory excuse, in chap, xxxii,
for his interposing, being so young a man in comparU
son to them, and for the plainness of speech he in-
tended to treat them in, desiring they would not ex*
pect from him that he should accept any man's per-
I1 MIT I. SACRED HISTORY, 169
son, or give flattering titles unto man, for he durst not
do that, lest if he did, his Maker should cut him sud-
denly off, attacked Job in a long oration continued
through chap, xxxiii, xxxiv, xxxv, xxxvi and xxxvii :
and reprehending him for insisting so much in his own
vindication, endeavoured to convince him, by argu-
ments drawn from God's unlimited sovereignty, and
from his unsearchable wisdom, which produces ends^
and purposes which man cannot find out nor under-
stand, that it is not inconsistent with his justice JBflr
God to lay his afflicting hand on the best and most
righteous of men. And that therefore it is the dfhy
of all men to bear such exercises, when they fall,
without complaining or mourning ; and to acknow-
ledge the justice of God therein.
All this Job with regardful attention heard, and
made no reply ; as probably he had said less before,
in answer to his three friends, and that less liable to
exception, had he not been so teased by their unkind,
uncharitable, and unjust reflections ; whereby, instead
of being his comforters, they proved his tormentors,
and drew from him those unguarded expressions,
which both they, and after them Elihu, turned against
him.
When Elihu had done speaking, and all were silent,
the Lord himself took up the matter, and out of the
whirlwind directed his speech unto Job: wherein
setting forth, with the highest amplifications, his om-
nipotence, in the forming and disposing the works of
the creation, both of the heavenly bodies and of the
inferior creatures, as well on the earth as in the sea,
through chap, xxxviii, xxxix, xl, and xli; he jso effectu-
ally convinced Job of his own weakness and inability,
of himself, to understand the ways and mind of God,
that Job, in the deepest humility breaking forth, said,
* Behold, I am vile, (that is mean, low, anil contempti-
ble, in comparison of thee) what shall I answer thee?,
I will lay my hands upon my mouth. Once have I
spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice, but I witt
proceed no further,' chap. xlii.
vol. i. p
170 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
And afterwards, when the Lord had done speaking
to him, he more fully confessed to the supremacy,
power, and wisdom of God, saying to this effect, ' I
know that thou canst do every thing; and that no
thought can be hidden from thee.' Well, indeed,
mightest thou ask, chap, xxxviii. 2, who he was that
darkened counsel, by words without knowledge : for I
am sensible c I have uttered that I understood not,
• things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.' But
henceforward I desire to learn of thee : therefore hear
I beseech thee, when I speak ; and declare unto me
what I ask thee. ' I have heard of thee before by the
hearing of the ear,' which gave me but a remote
knowledge of thee, but now I have obtained a more
clear and certain knowledge of thee ; for now mine
eye sees thee. Wherefore I abhor myself for what I
have said amiss, and repent in dust and ashes ; that
is, sincerely and heartily, chap, xlii, ver. 1 to 7.
With this free and humble acknowledgment the
Lord was so well pleased, that he thereupon took part
with Job against his injurious friends. Wherefore he
said to Eliphaz the Temanite, ' My wrath is kindled
against thee, and against thy two friends : for ye have
not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant
Job hath. Therefore take unto you now seven bul-
locks, and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and
offer up for yourselves a burnt offering, and my ser-
vant Job shall pray for you : for him (that is, his pray-
ers) will I accept, lest I deal with you after your folly,
in that ye have not spoken of me the thing that is
right, like my servant Job,' ver. 7, 8.
Accordingly Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar did as
the Lord commanded them ; and the Lord accepted
Job's intercession for them. And when Job prayed
for his friends, the Lord turned his captivity, and gave
him twice as much as he had before : so that he had
fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and
one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand she-
asses. He had also seven sons and three daughters,
the fairest of all the women in the laud ; and their
PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 171
father gave them inheritance among their brethren.
Job's brethren also and his sisters, which may be un-
derstood to comprehend all his kindred, together with
others of his former acquaintance, made visits of con-
dolence to him, and brought him presents, whereby he
was very much enriched. And after this Job lived an
hundred and forty years, till he had seen his sons, and
his sons' sons, even four generations ; and then died
an old man, and full of days j from ver. 9 to the end.
THE END OF THE BOOK OF JOB.
»H«
3Boofe of er$xm.
WHICH SIGNIFIES GOING FORTH : SO CALLED, BECAUSE
IT TREATS OF THE GOING FORTH, OR -DEPARTURE,
OF THE ISRAELITES OUT OF EGYPT: AND CONTAINS
AN HISTORY OF ABOUT 144 YEARS.
The story of Job thus brought, as near as I well
could, to its proper time and place, who descending
from Abraham by a second venter, and in another line,
is a great instance of that great father's pious care, in in-
structing his houshold in the knowledge and fear of
the true God ; let us now return to Jacob's family,
which we left in Egypt, embalming Joseph, and#ce
how it has fared with the children of Israel there.
After the death of Joseph, there arose up a new king
oyer Egypt, another Pharaoh, who had not had a per-
sonal knowledge of Joseph. And an age being now
past since the great Egyptian famine, and the whole
generation of men that lived in that time, who had
tasted of Joseph's provident kindness, worn out
and gone, the memory of Joseph's benefits to that
crown and kingdom, which ought to have been en-
graven on pillars of marble, to have lasted to the ut-
most date of time, was, to the lasting infamy of that
nation, already forgotten and lost ; though it might
have been easily found, if no where else, in the court
of augmentations of the revenues of that crown.* had
but common gratitude sought for it there.
PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 173
This new king, observing that the children of Israel
were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multipli-
ed, and waxed exceedingly mighty ; so that the land
of Goshen, wherein they lived, was filled with them,
held it expedient to contrive some way to secure them
to himself, and himself from danger by them. Con-
vening therefore the chief of his own people, he thus
spake unto them :
4 Behold, the people of the children of Israel are
more and more mighty than we. Come on, therefore,
said he, let us deal wisely with them, lest they yet
multiply, and it come to pass that if there should fall
out any war, they either join themselves unto our
enemies, (and so put us to the worst) or get them up
out of the land,' and so we lose the advantage we may
make by them.
The Egyptians approving the politic fears of their
cautious king, they jointly agreed to employ the chil-
dren of Israel in making brick, and building store-
cities for Pharaoh. And because the design of this
undertaking was not only to reap the profits of their
service, but by continual hard labour to impoverish
them, enfeeble their bodies, and debase their spirits,
they set task-masters over them, to afflict them with
burdens, and make them serve with rigour, so that
they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in
mortar, and in brick, and in all manner of service in
the field : all their service, wherewith they made them
serve, was with rigour. Yet, as camomile grows the
faster for being trod upon, and the palm-tree, loaded
with weights, shoots up the higher ; so the more the
Israelites were oppressed, the more they multiplied
and grew. This vexed the Egyptians ; for, as the
poet hath it,
Invidus alterius relus macrescit opimis.
The envious man frets, til! himself grows lean,
Because his neighbour's fortune is serene.
P 2
17 i SACKED HISTORY. PART I.
And the Egyptians, it is said, were grieved because
of the children of Israel, ver. 12, that is, it troubled
them to see the Israelites increase and grow strong,
notwithstanding the heavy burdens they laid on them.
To suppress their growth therefore, the king spake
to two of the Hebrew midwives, who probably were
the chief amongst them in that profession, and gave
them a strict charge, that when they should do the
office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, if the
child were a son they should kill him, but if a daugh-
ter, then she should live, ver. 15, 16: but those good
midwives, of which the one was named Shiphrah,
and the other Puah, fearing God, did not as the king-
had commanded them ; but saved the men children
also. This pious mind in the midwives, in preferring
the just law of God to the unjust law of the king, was
so acceptable to God, that he is said thereupon to have
dealt well with them : ' because they feared God, he
made them houses ;' that is, he made them to prosper,
gave them children, and blessed their families. And
by this means the people still multiplied and waxed
very mighty.
But when the king understood how the midwives
had dealt with him, he called them to account for it,
demanding of them, in great displeasure, l Why they
had done this thing, and had saved the men children
alive V They, to excuse themselves, and pacify him,
told him, 4 The Hebrew women were not as the
Egyptian women: but being lively and strong, they
were delivered before the midwives could come to
them.' The king, whether satisfied or not with this
answer, not finding it safe to trust the midwives any
.- r, resolved to take a more effectual course: and
therefore gave charge to all his people, that every son,
which should be born to the Hebrews, they should
cast into the river ; but should save every daughter
alive.
Here it may be worth while to observe, that perse-
cution, as it hardens the heart, so also it blinds the
judgment of the persecutors j making them act even.
PART I. SACRED HISTORY1. 175'
against their ' own interests. Pharaoh* s persecuting
the Israelites, in forcing them hy rigorous ways to
labour for him in servile drudgery, on purpose to op-
press and suppress them, hardened his heart to ad-
vance to an higher degree of cruelty, in commanding
all the male children to he murdered. And had he
not been absolutely blinded, he must have seen that
the means he used destroyed the end he aimed at. For
the chief reason why he wouldkeep the Israelites un-
der, was, lest they should grow strong enough to de-
liver themselves out of Egypt, and so he should lose
the profit he would make of them. But if he had de-
stroyed all the male children, as fast as they were
born, there could have been no succession of men of
that race : so that when the present generation had
been worn out, all the girls being saved alive, he
might have been troubled with a numerous company
of burdensome women, without ever a man to main-
tain them, or work for him ; and thereby he would
have brought upon himself a great charge, without
profit. But to return to the story.
This cruel edict, for drowning all the male children,
must needs cause great sorrow to the Hebrew parents ;
and put them, no doubt, upon many a thoughtful con-
trivance for the safetv of their poor babes. Of which
an instance quickly follows.
Some time before this law came forth, one of the
Israelites, of the house of Levi, whose name was
Amram, chap. vi. 20, took to wife a daughter of
Levi, named Jochebed, by whom he had a daughter
named Miriam ; and about four years after, a son
named Aaron, whose life it is probable the godly mid-
wives had spared. About three years after Aaron's
birth, Jochebed bare another son, who was not only
a fair and goodly child, but had something extraordi-
nary and supernatural of a divine beauty upon him,
which made his mother the more regardful of him,
and more solicitous for his preservation. Wherefore
she kept him hid three months, that none of her
Egyptian neighbours might know of him. But finding
1^6 SACRED HISTORY. PARTI.
she could no longer hide him, and fearing lest he should
fall into the hands of those that were appointed to drown
the male children, she, no doubt by a divine instinct,
contrived this way for his preservation. She made a
little ark, or boat, of bulrushes, which she daubed
with slime and pitch, that it might keep the water
out ; and having put the child therein, she laid it in
the flags by the river's brink, and set his sister Miriam,
who was then about seven years old, aloof off, to ob-
serve what became of him.*
Propitious Providence so ordered, that presently
after, Pharaoh's daughter, whom the Jewish antiquary
calls Thermuthis, came down with her maidens to
wash herself at the river. And while she walked along
by the river side, perceiving the little floating ark, she
sent one of her maids to fetch it ; who having brought
it to her, when she had opened it she saw the child ;
and behold, the babe wept. This drew from her com-
passion to the infant, and made her, with an accent
of pity, say, ' This is one of the Hebrews' children 1'
Little Miriam, well instructed by her mother, found
means to cast herself among them ; and observing that
Pharaoh's daughter took it for one of the Hebrews'
children, ' Shall I go (said she to her) and call to thee
a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse
the child for thee V Ay, go, said Pharaoh's daughter :
whereupon away went the girl, and quickly brought,
her own, and the child's mother. To whom Pharaoh's
daughter said, ' Take this child and nurse it for me,
and I will give thee thy wages.'
This was a welcome bargain to the mother, who
taking the child home with her, durst now nurse it
openly. And when the child was grown big enough,
she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, who adopt-
ed him for her son. And in remembrance that she
drew him out of the water, she called his name Moses,
which signifies, (says Dr. Gell, in his Essay, p. 185 ;
not drawn out, as the margin gives, but) I drew him
out. Prophetically shewing, though at unawares, by
* A. M. 2436,
PART I. SACREB HISTORY, 177
his name, thathe should draw Israel out of Egvpfc....
Whereas his parents, at his circumcision, as the same
Dr. Gell there, from Clem. Alex. 1. 1. Strom, de-
livers, had called him Joachim, the resurrection of
the Lord ; from a presaging hope, that the Lord,
through him, would raise up his people Israel, deliver
them from the Egyptian bondage they were then in,
and bring them again into the promised land.
Moses being brought up in Pharaoh's court, was in-
structed in the sciences and discipline then used among
the Egyptians, both civil and military; which might
make Stephen say of him, Hhat he was learned in all
the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in
words and in deeds,' Acts vii. 22. Which, as divers
other things, not being read in the Old Testament,
Dr. Hammond, on 2 Tim. iii. 8, says, are taken out
of other records of the Jews. And both Josephus,
lib. 2. Antiq. and Clem. Alexan. lib. 1. Strom, (as Dr.
Gell in his Essay, page 187, delivers) report of Mo-
ses, that he was General of the Egyptian forces, ob-
tained a great victory over the Ethiopians, and did
many other great things before he visited his brethren.
But when he was grown strong, and as Stephen has
it, Acts vii. 23, 'was full forty years old, it came into
his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel;'
wherefore he went out unto them, and looked on their
burdens, the sight of which must needs raise in him
compassion towards them, as well as indignation to-
wards their oppressors, which too was heightened by
his espying an Egyptian smiting one of his brethren,
an-Hebrew. Wherefore looking about to see that the
coast was clear, and not perceiving any man in sight,,
he, without more to do, slew the Egyptian, and hid
him in the sand : supposing his brethren would have
understood, that God by his hand would deliver them ;
from whence may well be inferred, that he had in him-
self such a persuasion, and a stirring of spirit there-
unto, which drew him to go among them, but they
understood not*
178 SACRED HISTORY. PART 1,
However, the next day he went out, and shewed
himself among them again. And finding two men of
the Hebrews, striving one with the other, he put them
in mind that they were brethren, and would have made
them friends; asking him that did the wrong, 'Why
smitest thou thy fellow ?' But he that did the wrong,
thrust him away, saying, ' Who made thee a prince
and a judge over us ? Dost thou intend to kill me, as
thou didst the Egyptian yesterday?'
That word startled Moses ; for by that he saw that
his killing the Egyptian, which he thought to have
kept secret, was known further than he was aware of:
and he might well conclude, if that should once come
to Pharaoh's ear, it could not be" safe for him to abide
in Egypt. Nor were his fears vain : for Pharaoh soon
got the knowledge of it, and sought to slay him :
whereupon Moses fled, and went to Midian.
In his travel he sat down by a well; where, while
he rested himself, the daughters of the prince of
Midian, seven in number, came to draw water, to fill
the troughs, that they might water their father's sheep.
But the rustic shepherds, willing to serve their own
turns first, rudely came and drove them away. Which
Moses seeing, and holding it his duty to relieve the
oppressed, he bravely stood up in defence of the shep-
herdesses, and helped them to water their flock. By
this means they went home earlier that day, than or-
dinarily they were wont to do. Which being observed
by Reuel, their grandfather, (so he was, though here
he be called their father : for this Reuel, who is also
called Raguel, Numb. x. 29, was father to Horob,
called also, and more commonly, Jethro, Exod. iii. 1.)
he asked them how it came to pass that they were
come so soon ? And when they told him that an Egyp-
tian had delivered them out of the hand of the shep-
herds, and had also drawn water enough for them,
and watered their flock, he, reprehending their ingra-
titude, asked, ' What is he ? WThy have ye left the man
abroad?' Invite him in, that he may refresh himself.*
* A. M. 2473.
PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 179
This courteous entertainment drew Moses to ex-
press a willingness to abide with them, and take upon
him the charge of Jethro' s sheep ; which he did. And
in process of time, Jethro bestowing his daughter Zip-
porah, one of those seven shepherdesses, upon him,"
he had by her two sons, the eldest of which he named
Gershom, which signifies, a stranger there : for he
said, ' I have been a stranger in a strange land.' And
the younger he called Eliezer ; importing, God my
help : for the God of my father, said he, was my help,
and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh,' Exod.
xviii. 4.
Now during the time- that Moses thus sojourned
with Jethro in Midian, the king of Egypt died: but
the next successor proved no better. The oppressed
Hebrews changed their oppressor, but not their con-
dition ; their oppressions were continued upon them,
and rather increased, than any whit abated. So that
the children of Israel, under the weight of their bur-
den, sighed ; and from sighing proceeded to crying ;
and from crying to groaning. They sighed ' by rea-
son of the bondage, and they cried j and their cry
came up unto God, by reason of the bondage : and
God heard the groaning ; and remembered his coven-
ant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.' And
God looked upon the children of Israel with compas-
sion, and had respect unto them. And the appointed
time of their deliverance drawing nigh, he now began
to prepare Moses, whom he intended to make use of
as an instrument therein.
4WMoses therefore, keeping his father-in-law Jethro's
sheep, led the flock to the backside of the desart :
where note the manner of those times and countries ;
that whereas the shepherds here drive their flocks be-
fore them, the shepherds there went before their flocks,
and the flocks followed them ; which custom is alluded
to in Psalm lxxx. 1, and Job x. 4.
When he was come to Horeb, (which signifies for-
saken, and is called here the mountain of God by anti-
cipation, both from the appearance of God upon it at
C180 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
this time, and his descending upon it afterwards, to
.give the law to his people, chap, xix; 20. where though
it is called Sinai, it is the s£me place with this ; for
Stephen, reciting this present passage, Acts vii. 30,
calls it Sinai) the angel of the Lord appeared there
unto him in a flame of nre out of the inidst of a bush.
And he looking, saw that the bush burned with fire,
and yet it was not consumed.
This was a lively emblem of the then state of God's
people in Egypt ; who, though the lire of affliction did
burn vehemently among them, and upon them, in the
grievous oppressions they lay under, yet they were not
consumed by it ; but did rather thrive and increase.
This so rare and extraordinary sight drew Moses to
observe and consider it more attentively : and made
him say, within himself, * I will now turn aside, and
see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt up.'
This great sight, begetting in Moses a great curi-
osity, drew him into a great service. For when the
Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to
him out of the midst of the bush, and said, i Moses,
Moses ;' and Moses answering, l Here am I ;' God,
to strike the greater sense into him of the presence of
the divine majesty, and to raise in him a suitable re-
verence, that he might be in the fitter frame to receive
what he intended to speak to him, stopped him from
coming on any nearer, by saying, i Draw not nigh
hither ; put off thy shots from off thy feet: for the
place whereon thou standest is holy ground.' The like
speech we read in Josh. v. 15, when Christ appea^jgd
to Joshua in the form of an armed man, declaring
himself ' Captain of the host of the Lord.' Which
shews, that wheresoever God, who is holiness, ap-
pears, the place is holy while he is there. Therefore
Tremellius and Junius, in their note on those words
4 holv ground,' Exod. iii. 5, say, 4 Ob prccsentiam Del
sanctlfcantem ; qua abeunte, loco sanctita? tollebatur :'
i. e. 4 By reason of God's presence sanctifying it ;
which departing, the holiness of the place was taken
awav.'
PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 121
much J that he was obliged to give over keeping ac-
count, for it was beyond number.
In this fruitful time, Joseph's wife proved fruitful
too, and bare him two sons before the years of famine
came. The name of the eldest son he called Manas-
seh, that is, forgetting : • For God,' said he, ' hath made
me forget all my toil, and all my father's house.' But
the name of the younger he called Ephraim, which
signifies fruitful : c For,' said he, l God hath caused me
to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.'
No sooner were the seven years of plenty ended,
but the seven years of dearth began to come ; accord-
ing as Joseph, expounding the dream, had said. And
it was a general dearth ; not only in Egypt, but in all
the neighbouring countries : yet there was food in all
the land of EgyfSt, by reason of the stores that had
been laid up. But when the famine grew strong upon
Egypt, and. the Egyptians cried to Pharaoh for breads
he sent them to Joseph, charging them to do as he
should direct them. Joseph thereupon opening the
store-houses, sold out corn, not only to the Egyptians,
but those also that came out of other countries to buy ;
because the famine was sore in all those parts. And
to that degree did it increase, that there was no bread
in all the land, save what Joseph had laid up, so that
the land of Egypt, and all the land of Canaan, fainted
by reason of the famine.
Here in the course of time should come in the story
of Joseph's brethren, their coming to buy corn of him,
with the various and strange adventures that befell
them ; and Jacob's coming with his family to settle in
Egypt, related in chap, xlii, xliii, xliv, xlv, xlvi, and part
of xlvii. But that the reader may have together the ac-
count of Joseph's dealing with the Egyptians, I chose
to postpone the story of his brethren, and go on to set
forth the Egyptian calamity, and Joseph's conduct
therein, as it is delivered in chap, xlvii, from ver. 13
to 27.
When Joseph had gathered up all the money, that
was found in the land of Egypt, for the corn which he
VOL. I. l
122 SACRED HISTORY. PARTI.
had sold to them, and had brought it into the king's
exchequer; the Egyptians coming to him, said, ' Give
us bread, now our money is gone : for why should we
die in thy presence, who hast wherewith to keep us
alive V But Joseph told them, if they had no more
money, they should bring him their cattle ; and he
would give them bread in exchange for their cattle ;
which they did, and for their cattle he fed them that
year.
When that year was ended, they came to him again
the next year, which is called the second year ; but
must not be understood to be second of the seven, but
the second from the time that their money failed ;
which was indeed the sixth of the seven. And then
they told him, 4 they would not hide their condition
from him ; how that their money was spent, and he
had got their herds of cattle already :' so that they
had nothing left now to offer him, but their bodies and
their lands. Therefore, ' let us not die,' said they, 4 be-
fore thine eyes, both we and our land, for want of seed
to sow it, but buy us and our land for bread, and we
and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh ; and give
us seed, that we may live and not die, and that the
land be not desolate.'
Joseph took them at their word, and bought all the
land of Egypt for Pharaoh ; except the land of the
princes, which he did not buy : for the princes had a
portion allowed them by Pharaoh, and did eat the por-
tion which Pharaoh gave them : wherefore they did
not sell their lands. But the rest of the Egyptians
sold every man his field, because the famine prevailed
over them : and so the land became Pharaoh's.
Then said Joseph to the people, behold I have this
day bought both you and your land for Pharaoh. Now
here is seed for you, and ye shall sow the land ; for
this being the last year of the seven barren years, they
might sow in hopes of plenty again ; but, added he,
these shall be the terms on which ye shall hold your
land, ' Ye shall every year give the fifth part of your
increase unto Pharaoh ; and the other four parts shall
PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 123
be your own for seeding the field again, and for food
for yourselves, your little ones, and all them of your
housholds.' Thus Joseph settled it for a standing law,
throughout all Egypt, that Pharaoh should have the
fifth part of the yearly increase of all the lands, except
the lands of the princes, which did not become Pha-
raoh's.
As for the common people, Joseph removed them
to cities, from one end of the borders of Egypt to the
other. Which probably he might do with this intent,
that by so displacing and unsettling them from their
ancient seats and demesnes, and shifting them to and
fro, one upon another's land, but leaving none upon
their own, he might the better confirm Pharaoh's title
to the whole, when none knew where to claim.
Thus the Egyptians saved their lives, at the cost of
losing their estates and liberties ; and of freemen, be-
came bondmen; of freeholders, tenants in soccage,
holding by the plough, of service in husbandry. In
which yet, so sweet was life to them, they reioiced,
saying to Joseph : 4 thou hast saved our lives : let us
find favour in the sight of my lord, and we will be
Pharaoh's servants.'
Thus it went with the Egyptians: the account of
which I thought would be most clear and acceptable,
if it were thus given entirely together. Therefore I pas-
sed over the xlii, xliii, xliv, xlv, xlvi, and part of xlvii,
chapters, where the story of Joseph's dealing with his
brethren, and Jacob's going down into Egypt is related,
that I might connect the latter part of the account of
Joseph's ordering the affairs of Egypt, which is de-
livered in chap, xlvii, from ver. 12 to 27, with the
former part thereof. Which having done, let us non-
return, and see how in these hard times it fared with
good Jacob, and his family, in the land of Canaan, for
the famine raged in Canaan, as well as in Egypt j and
they were in worse case who lived there, because there
were no store's laid up, as there were in Egypt.
When Jacob understood that there was corn in
Egypt, he said unto his sons, ? Why do ye look one
124 SACRED HISTORY*. PART I.
upon another? (like dispirited men, void of counsel)
I hear there is corn in Egypt ; therefore get ye down
thither, and buy for us from thence, that we may pre-
serve our lives.'
Hereupon Joseph's ten brethren, leaving Benjamin,
the youngest, with their father Jacob, who would not
part with him, lest mischief might befall him, went
down to Egypt to buy corn. And Joseph, who was
the governor over the land, not trusting to deputies,
but selling the corn out himself to those that came to
buy, his brethren coming to treat with him for corn,
bowed down themselves before him, with their faces
Towards the earth : thereby unwittingly beginning to
fulfil what Joseph had before dreamed of them. Jo-
seph no sooner saw his, brethren, but he knew them ;
though they did not know him. Wherefore, remem-
bering his dream concerning them, and being minded
to try what effect some hard treatment would have
upon them, to bring them to a sense of their unnatu-
ral dealing with him, using an interpreter to avoid
suspicion, he roughly asked them, whence they came :
they answering they came from Canaan to buy corn ;
he replied, l Ye are spies, and are come to see the
nakedness (that is, the weak and unguarded parts) of
the land.' They submissively answered, c Nay, my
lord, but to buy food are thy servants come.' And
to take off the suspicion of their being spies, they
added, i We are all one man's sons : we are true men,
thy servants are no spies.' Thereby suggesting the
improbability of their being spies, being all brethren,
the sons of one man ; since no man in his right wits
would send so many, and all his own children, upon
such a capital enterprize. But Joseph, repeating the
charge upon them, said, i Nay, but to see the naked-
ness of the land are ye come.'*
This drew them, for clearing themselves, to open
the state of the family further, by saying, ' Thy ser-
vants were twelve brethren, the sons of one man in
the land of Canaan ; and behold the youngest is this
* A. M. 22S9g
1
PART I. SACRED HISTOKT. 125
day with our father, and one is dead.' Well, said
Joseph, by this it shall appear whether ye are spies or
no ; ye now say ye have a younger brother : and, by
the life of Pharaoh, ye shall not go hence, except
your youngest brother come hither. Therefore send
one of you, and let him fetch your brother ; and ye
shall be kept in prison in the mean time, that your
words may be proved, whether there be any truth in>
you : otherwise, by the life of Pharaoh, (that is, as
sure as Pharaoh lives) ye are spies.
Some, from this form of speech, 4 by the life of
Pharaoh,' charge Joseph with having learned and used
an Egyptian oath. But Dr. Robert Sanderson, in his
book De Juramenti Obligatione, praelect. 5, sect. 7,
defends Joseph from having sworn, when he said to
his brethren, l by the life of Pharaoh.'
Joseph having told his brethren what they must
trust to, put them all together into custody for three
days : and on the third day, sending for them again,
he let them know that he feared God, and would not
that their families should suffer for their faults, nor
that they should suffer if they were faultless. There-
fore, said he, this do: 4 If ye be true men, let one of
your brethern be bound in the house of your prison ;
and go ye, carry corn, to prevent the famishing of
your families. But see that ve bring your youngest
brother unto me ; so shall your words be verified,
and your lives preserved.' To this, not knowing
otherwise how to help themselves, they all agreed.
And thereupon falling into discourse amongst them-
selves, they could not but reflect on their evil usage
of their brother Joseph, whom they all supposed to
be dead. And they said one to another, * We are
verily guilty concerning our brother, in that, though
we saw the anguish of his soul when he besought us,
we would not hear : therefore is this distress come
upon us.' ' Ay,' said Reuben, * did not I intreat
you, that ye would not sin against the child, and ye
would not hear? therefore, behold, his blood is now
required.'
i 2
126 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
Joseph was present, and heard their discourse : for
having spoken to them by an interpreter before, who
was now absent, they spake freely to one another, as
far from thinking he could understand them, as that
he was their brother. But these words of theirs so
affected good Joseph, that he could not forbear weep-
ing : which, that his brethren might not observe, he
turned away, and left them for a little while. Then
returning, and, by his interpreter, communing farther
with them, he took Simeon, the eldest next.to Reuben,
whom he spared, because he not only consented not
to their evil design against him, but saved his life,
and laboured to have delivered him, and causing him
to be bound in their sight, he set the rest at liberty,
who having their sacks, by his order filled with corn,
and provision given them for their journey, laded their
asses, and departed.
But as one of them, when they came to their inn
upon the way, opened his sack, to give his ass pro-
vender, he espied his money in his sack's mouth, for
Joseph had ordered his steward to put every one of
their monies in his sack again. At sight of this, he
calls out to the rest, and tells them his money was re-
stored. This startle them all : their hearts began to
fail, and fear seizing on them, they said one to another,
* What is this that God hath done unto us V For be-
ing conscious of their own guilt, they looked upon this
as an additional judgment of God upon them for it,
till they came home.
Being come to their father, they gave him an ac-
count of their journey, and of what had befallen them
in it ; relating to him how the lord of the land had
dealt with them, charging them with being spies, en-
gaging them to bring their youngest brother with them,
as a proof of their clearness, when they should come
again, and keeping their brother Simeon bound in pri-
son as a pledge, till they should bring Benjamin.
This news was very unpleasing to Jacob ; but when,
upon the emptying of their sacks, they found every
man's bag of money in his sack, both Jacob and they
PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 127
were all afraid, lest some new accusation would arise
out of this, when the other, of their being spies,
should be cleared. Jacob therefore, breaking forth in
complaint, said, 'Me have ye bereaved of my chil-
dren : Joseph is riot, and Simeon is not ; and ye will
take Benjamin away. All these things are against me.'
Reuben, thinking to persuade his father to consent
to Benjamin's going, desired him to commit him to
his care, promising to bring him safe to him again :
which, said he, if I do not, slay thou my two sons, or
two of my sons ; for he had four, named in Gen.
xlvi. 9 ; which went down afterwards with Jacob into
Egypt."
Jacob needed not to be told how ill a recompence it
would have been to him, for the loss of his son to kill
his two grandsons : so that this proposal did but aggra-
vate his grief, and make him resolve that his son Ben-
jamin should not go down with them. ' For, said he,
his brother Joseph (his only brother by the mother) is
dead (so he and they all thought) and he is left alone :
if mischief befall him by the way, then shall ye bring
do wn my grey hairs with sorrow to the grave.
Thus it stood awhile with tfyem. But the famine
increasing sore upon them, when they had eaten up
the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, Jacob
said unto his sons, 4 Go again, buy us a little food :'
not taking any notice of the injunction laid upon them
in Egypt, to bring their brother Benjamin with them,
if they meant to have corn, or their brother Simeon
back with them. . The sons well knew it was in vain
for them to go without Benjamin : and how to per-
suade their father to part with him was the difficulty.
Reuben had in vain tried his skill before ; wherefore
Judah now attempts to draw his father to a compli-
ance : and in order thereunto he thus bespake him :
If, said he, thou wilt send our brother with us, we
will go down and buy food : but if thou wilt not send
him, it is in vain for us to go ; so I wish it might be
read, rather than in that blunt manner, * we will not go,'
not so decent from a son to a father. For, adtfcd he,
128 SACRED HISTORY. PART I,
' the man did solemnly protest unto us, that we should
not see his face, except our brother was with us.'
This pinched poor Jacob again, and drew from him
a fresh complaint. ' Wherefore,' said he, c dealt ye so
ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had another
brother V They, to excuse themselves, answered, how
truly doth not appear, ' The man asked us straitly of
our state and of our kindred ; saying, Is your father
yet alive ? Have you another brother ? and we answer-
ing him accordingly, could we certainly know before-
hand that he would say, bring your brother down V
Jacob beginning now to stagger, Judah said to him,
* Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go ; that
we may live and not die, both thou and we, and our
little ones. I will be surety for him, and at my hand
shall thou require him : if I bring him not unto
thee, and set him before thee ; then let me bear the
blame forever.'
What neither their reason nor importunity could
effect, necessity did. If there be no remedy, it must
be so now, said their father to them, do this : * Take
of the best fruits of the land in your vessels, and car-
ry down the man a present ; a little balm, (or balsam)
and a little honey, spices and myrrh, nuts and almonds,'
which, if any wonder they should be to be had in so
great a famine, let it be considered, that this was but
the second year of the seven ; there were five yet to
come, Gen. xlv. 11. And these things not being used
for common food, there might be some small quantity
of the old stock remain. l Take with you also, said
he, double money in your hands,' for he consideied
well, that as the famine increased, the price of corn
would be likely to rise. And, added he, 4 Carry with
you again the money that was brought back in the
mouths of your sacks ; for peradventure it was an
oversight.' Take also your brother Benjamin with
you ; and arise, go again unto the man ; and, which
shews where his hope lay, God Almighty give you
mercy before the man, or incline him to be merciful
to you, that he may send away your brother (Simeon)
PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 12$
and Benjamin. And now having committed all ta
God, ' If, said he, I be bereaved (of my children) I
am bereaved.' As if he had said, I will trust provi-
dence, and quietly submit to God's divine disposal.
Now went they down cheerfully, having their bro-
ther Benjamin with them, the money that was in their
sacks, to return it again, double money to buy with,
and a present to appease the angry governor : and now
they reckoned they could appear with some confidence
before him.
When, they were come into Egypt, and Joseph saw
his brother Benjamin among them, he gave order to
his steward, the ruler of his house, to bring them
home, and make provision for them to dine with him
at noon ; which the steward accordingly did.
This put them into a new fright ; and conferring
together upon it, they concluded, that this was because
of the money that was returned in their sacks before :
and that therefore they were thus brought into the
governor's house, that he might seek an occasion
against them, to fall upon them, and both take them
for bondmen, and seize upon their cattle. That there-
fore they might remove all offence about the return of
their money, they drew near to the steward, and com-
muning with him at the door, one of them, in the name
of the rest, said, 4 O, sir, when we came at the first to
buy food, it came to pass that when (in our return) we
opened our sacks, (one of us at our inn, by the way,
and the rest of us when Ave came home) behold every
man's money, in its full weight, was in the mouth of
his sack : we cannot tell who put the money in our
sacks ; but we have brought it again ; and we have
brought other money also to buy food with.' The
steward cheered them up, bidding them not fear; and
to hide still the contrivance from them, told them,
4 Their God, and the God of their father, had given
them treasure in their sacks ; for I, said he, had your
money.' And finding them somewhat dejected, he,
to comfort them, brought forth their brother Simeon
to them ; and gave order that water should be brought
130 SACRED HISTORY. l'ART U
to them, to wash their feet in ; and that their cattle
should be taken care of, and fed.
They meanwhile, understanding they should dine
there, made ready their present against the governor
should come in : and when he came, they presented
him with it ; bowing themselves to him to the earth.
He asking them how they did, and if their father, the
old man of whom they had spoken, when they were
with him before, was yet alive and well : they answer-
ed, ' Thy servant, our father, is yet alive, and in good
health ;' and thereupon again they bowed down their
heads and made obeisance. In doing which Joseph,
no doubt, could not but observe, how inobservant so-
ever they were, the accomplishment of his first dream,
Gen. xxxvii. 7, wherein their sheaves made obeisance
to his.
Then lifting up his eyes, for his affection would
hardly suiter him to look stedfastly upon them, and
seeing his brother Benjamin, the son of his mother,
he asked, ' Is this your younger brother, of whom ye
spake unto me :' and not staying for an answer from
them, said to him, ' God be gracious to thee, my son ;'
for his bowels did so yearn upon his brother, that he was
fain to hasten from them, that he might seek a place
to weep in. Retiring therefore into his chamber, he
wept there; and having thereby given some vent to
his passion, and washed his face, that it might not be
observed that he had wept, he came forth again to
them ; and refraining himself from further tears, gave
order that dinner should be brought in.
Accordingly, provision was made for him by him-
self, by the reason of the dignity of his place, and for
all his brethren by themselves ; and for the Egyptians
who were to dine in his company, by themselves ; be-
cause the Egyptians might not eat with the Hebrews,
who were shepherds, that being an employment which
the Egyptians did abominate, Gen. xlvi. 84.
All things being ready, the brethren sat down in
Joseph's presence, according to the exact order of
their births : and thev marvelled one at another. The-
FART I. SACRED HISTORY. lot
reason of their marvelling not being expressed, leaves
it uncertain whether they marvelled at the manner and
order of the entertainment ; or whether being placed
not by themselves, as some think, but by Joseph, or
his servants by his appointment, they marvelled how
he came to understand the order of their ages, to dis-
pose them so rigthly in their due rank. However,
finding themselves kindly entertained, for Joseph sent
them every one a mess from his own table, and to
Benjamin a mess five times as much as any of theirs,
they drank freely, and were merry with him.
Now might they think the brunt was over ; and that
they should have no more storms or clouds, but pleas-
ant sun-shine for the future : but alas I their sharpest
trial was yet to come. They who were not enough
sensible of the affliction of Joseph, were not yet
enough afflicted themselves : they must be afflicted
more. Wherefore Joseph commanded his steward to
fill the men's sacks with food as much as they could
carry ; and put every man's money in his sack's mouth
again : and, said he, ' put my cup, the silver cup, in
the sack's mouth of the youngest, with his corn mo-
ney.' Which accordingly was done, and early next
morning, by- that time it was light, they were sent
away. But they were not gone far out of the city,
when Joseph calling his steward, said to him, 4 Up ;
follow after the men, and when thou dost overtake
them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded
evil for good ? Is not this (viz. the cup which ye have
stolen) that in which my lord drinketh, and whereby
he will certainly find out what ye are ? Ye have done
evil in so doing.'
The steward, thus instructed, straightway pursued ;
and having overtaken them, charged them, as his lord
had bidden him. They, knowing their clearness,
made light of it, saying, c Wherefore saith my lord
these words ? God forbid that thy servants should do
such a thing.' vThen as an argument of their probity
and just dealing, they reminded him of their having
brought bafck the money which they found in their
132 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
sacks. l Behold, said they, the money which we found
in our sacks' mouths, we brought back again unto thee,
out of the land of Canaan : how then is it likely we
should steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold V
But to put the matter out of all doubt, in confidence
of their innocency, they offered themselves to the
search, and that under the severest penalties. 4 With
whomsoever of thy servants it be found, said they,
both let him die for it, and we also will all of us be
my lord's bondmen.'
The steward took them at their word ; but with this
mitigation ; c He with whom it is found shall be my
servant, said he, and the rest shall be blameless.' Then
every one of them took down his sack ; and as they
opened he searched them, beginning at the eldest,
and so going on to the youngest; and in poor Benja-
min's sack the cup was found.
This was a plain conviction ; at sight whereof
amazement and sorrow took hold of them together :
in token of which, they rent their clothes, and seeing
no remedy, nor having any thing to say for themselves,
thev laded their asses again, and returned to the city,
Joseph, meanwhile, who without a cup could divine
in whose sack the cup could be found, staid at home,
expecting their coming ; and when Judah and his bre*
thren came into the house to him, they fell down be*
fore him on the ground : but before they could open
their mouths to defend or excuse themselves, Joseph
sternly said to them, c What deed is this that ye have
done ? Wot ye not that such a man as I could certainly
find you out V
Although they were altogether innocent of this
matter, yet so great a consternation and fear was on
them, that they knew not what answer to make ; till
at length Judah thus abruptly brake forth.
4 What shall we say unto my lord ? What shall we
speak ? Or how shall we clear ourselves ? God hath
found out the iniquity of thy servants : behold we are
my lord's servants j both we and he also with whom
the cup is found.' $
FART I. SACRED HISTORY. 217
Moses' wife, with their two sons, Gershom and Eli-
ezer, and brought them to him at the Israelitish camp.
Where, after mutual salutations and embracings, Mo-
ses having given him a more particular account of the
Lord's dealing with Pharaoh and the Egyptians, and
of what had befallen Israel in their travel thither ; at
which Jethro, being a devout man, as sprang from the
loins of Abraham by Keturah, though not of the seed
of promise, testified his joy, both by rendering solemn
praise to God, with acknowledgment of his sovereignty,
and offering a burnt offering, and sacrifices of thanks-
giving to God : wherein Aaron, and all the elders of
Israel, did join with him and feast together.
While Jethro tarried there, he observed that Moses
was overcharged with the weight of business, in hear-
ing and judging all the complaints and little wrangling
differences of so great a people. Wherefore, being a
wise and experienced prince, he advised his son-in-law
to substitute certain subordinate officers, well quali-
fied, men of ability, men of truth, such as feared
God and hated coveteousness, to be rulers, some
over thousands, some over hundreds, some over fifties,
and some over tens, who should hear and end all the
smaller matters among the people, and refer the great-
er and more weighty causes only to him : assuring
him, that if, by God's approbation, he did follow this
counsel, it would be better both for himself and the
people. Moses liking well his father's advice, forth-
with put it into practice, to the great ease both of him-
self and the people. And Jethro, taking his leave of his
son-in-law, and the rest, returned into his own land.
While Israel lay encamped in the wilderness of
Sinai, before the mount of God, the Lord there gave
them the law, in ten commandments, thence called
the Decalogue. The preparatory solemnities there-
unto, are particularly set down in the nineteenth chap-
ter of Exodus : and the Decalogue follows in chap. xx.
After which follows divers judicial laws, intermixed
with some ceremonial, and backed with promises of
blessings upon obedience, in chap, xxi, xxii, xxiii.
vol. i. T
213 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
All which Moses wrote in a book, and then read it to
the people.
Which done, he, by God's command, brought up
.Aaron, with his two sons, Nadab and Abihu, and
seventy of the elders of Israel, so near that they saw
the God of Israel ; that is, by the glory exhibited,
they were assured that God was present there. And
this privilege those Israelitish nobles had, that though
they appeared so near to the Divine Majesty, yet
they were not smitten by it, but did survive the sight.
Bu-: God, having particular service for Moses, com-
manded him to come up to him into the mount, and
tarry there. Moses therefore, taking only Joshua
with him, went up into the mount, directing the
elders to tarry for them till they should come down
again, and referring them to Aaron and Hur for assist-
ance, in any difficult cause that might be brought be-
fore them.
No sooner was Moses got up into the mount of God,
but a cloud covered the mount, and the glory of the
Lord abode upon it like devouring fire, in the sight
of the children of Israel : and here the Lord kept
Moses forty days and forty nights. In which time he
received the tables of stone, whereon God himself
had written the law ; and he took direction from God,
and was instructed how the tabernacle should be made,
and all the vessels and instruments belonging there-
unto ; and the. ark of the testimony, in which the law
should be kept: and the altar with all its appurtenances ;
and how Aaron and his sons should be consecrated to
the priesthood, and their priestly garments made,
with divers other particulars, set down at large in
chapters xxiv, xxv, xxvi, xxvii, xxviii, xxix, xxx, and
xxxi, of Exodus ; whither I refer the reader.
While Moses was thus employed in the mount,
Aaron and the people were worse employed in the
camp. For the people, impatient of Moses* long ab-
sence, when they saw he delayed to come down out of
the mount, (he had been forty days gone, and they
knew not how many forty days more he might stay)
they gathered themselves together unto Aaron, the
PART I. SACRED HISTORY* 119
most part of them, and said, ' Up, make us gods,
which shall go before us : for as for this Moses (the
man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt) we
know not what is become of him.'
Aaron, who should have restrained them from this
madness, and from whom better things might have
been expected, having so lately been admitted to the
sight of the divine glory, too easily complied ; and
without reproving, or expostulating with them, bid
them l break off the golden ear-rings, which were in
the ears of their wives and children, (which probably
were the same they had borrowed of the Egyptians,
Exod. xii. 35) and bring them to him.' They brought
them, he received them ; and, melting them down into
the figure or form of a calf, fashioned it with a grav-
ing tool. Which done, the people cried it up, 4 These
be, said they, thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee
up out of the land of Egypt.'
If it be asked, why he made it in the form of a calf,
rather than of another creature ? The answer is, k vs
probable he did it in imitation of the idol god they
had seen worshipped by the Egyptians, called Apis,
Serapis, and Osiris ; having the form of an ox or bull,
and, as some say, with a bushel on its head, in memory
both of Pharaoh's dreams, and Joseph's providence....
See Goodwyn's Moses and Aaron, 1. 4, c. 5. And
D'Assigny's History of Heathen Gods, 1. 2, p. 270,
and 1. 3, p. 38.
When Aaron saw how much the people were taken
with their golden god, he built an altar before it, and
proclaimed a feast to be holden next day to the Lord.
Not much unlike those inhabitants of Samaria, who
long after are said to have feared the Lord, and yet
served their graven images, 2 Kings xvii. 48.
The people, however, made a revelling feast of it
indeed : for after they had offered burnt offerings and
peace offerings, betimes in the morning, ' they sat
them down to eat and to drink, and when they were
full they rose up to play.'
Little thought good Moses what was doing in the
camp. He left all things in a very good posture, the
220 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
people having newly entered into a solemn league and
covenant with God, and bound themselves with one
voice, 'All the words which the Lord hath said, will
we do, and be obedient,' chap. xxiv. 3 and 7. And
now, all on a sudden, the Lord bid Moses be gone,
* Go, get thee down, said God to Moses : for thy peo-
ple (so he calls them, as disdaining now to own them
to be his) which thou broughtest out of the land of
Egypt, have corrupted themselves, and have turned
aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them.'
Then telling him in particulars what they had done,
•he added, ' I have seen this people (in many instances)
to be stiff-necked (like the ox they would worship).
Now therefore let me alone, plead not any longer with
"me for them, that my wrath may wax hot against them,
and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee
a great nation.'
This perhaps would have pleased some ; but poor
Moses it cut to the heart : wherefore he earnestly be-
sought the Lord his God on their behalf. And whereas
God had called them his people, he takes hold of the
expression, calling them his people: 'Lord, said he,
why doth thy wrath wax hot against (not mine, but)
thv people ; which (not I, but) thou hast brought forth
out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a
mighty hand ? Wherefore should the Egyptians blas-
pheme, and say, for mischief did he bring them out,
to- slay them in the mountains? Turn therefore, I be-
seech thee, from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this
evil against thy people. Remember Abraham, Isaac,
and Israel, (wrestling and prevailing Israel) thy ser-
vants, to whom thou didst swear by thine own self,
saying, I will multiply your seed, as the stars of hea-
ven ; and all this land, which I have spoken of, will I
give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.'
We read elsewhere how effectual the fervent prayer
of a righteous man is, Jam. v. 16, of which instances
are there given ; but if no other instance had been
given but this, here is a signal one. For, upon this
deprecation of Moses, it is said, ' The Lord repented
PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 221
of the evil which he thought to have done unto his
people.'
Moses, having thus far prevailed with the Lord,
hastens down from the mount, having in his hand the
two tables of the testimony, which were written or
graven on both sides by the finger of God. And as
he went, his servant Joshua, so he was, and so he is
called, Exod. xxxii. 11, who had attended him all
this while in the mount, hearing the noise of the peo-
ple as they shouted, observed to Moses that there was
a noise of war in the camp. But Moses said, l The
noise which I hear is not the voice of them that
shout for mastery, nor of them that cry for quarter :
but of them that sing.' But as he came so near that
he saw the calf, and the people dancing before it, his
anger was so kindled, that casting the tables out of
his hands, that he might lay hold on the calf, he brake
them beneath the mount. Then taking the calf which
they had made, he first, to deface it, burnt it in the
fire ; then, to destroy it, ground it to powder ; and
strowing the powder upon the water, made the chil-
dren of Israel drink of it: perhaps that he might
make them the more sensible of their folly, in wor-
shipping that as a god, which should pass through their
bodies into the draught.
Some, it may be, may think Moses a little too zeal-
ous, in destroying the matter or substance whereof
this calf was made ; and that the form being defaced
and altered, so great a mass of gold might have been
put to a better use. Bat the things that had been de-
voted or dedicated to, and used in idolatry, were to
be utterly destroyed, Exod. xxxiv. 13, Numb, xxxiii.
52, Deut. vii. 5 : ' The graven images of their gods
shall ye burn with fire. Thou shalt not desire the sil-
ver or gold that is on them ; nor take it unto thee,
lest thou be snared therein : for it is an abomina-
tion to the Lord thy God. Neither shalt thou bring
an abomination into thy house, lest thou be a cursed
thing like it; but thou shalt utterly detest it; and
T %
222 SACRED HISTORY. PARTI.
thou shalt utterly abhor it : for it is a cursed thing,'
Deut. vii. 25, 26, see also Deut. xii. 2, 3.
Now began Aaron to contrive how to excuse him-
self. When therefore Moses, calling him to account
for what he had done, asked him, l What did this peo-
ple unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin
upon them?' he desired Moses not to be angry, puts
him in mind that he knew the people were bent on
mischief. Then tells him a lame story, that when the
people had brought him their gold, he threw it into the
iire, and there came out that calf, as if the calf had
made itself. Whereas the text is plain and possitive,
that he made it a molten calf, that is, melted down the
gold into a mould of a calf, and then fashioned it more
exactly, with a graving tool.
Moses stood not long to reason the case with Aaron.
But seeing that he had made the people naked, had
stripped them of the defence and protection, which
God's presence and protection had been to them and
that too amongst their enemies, who might thence
take encouragement to fall upon them, he went and
«tood in the midst of the camp ; and calling out, said,
4 Who is on the Lord's side ? let him come out unto
ttie.' Whereupon we read, that 4 all the sons of Levi
gathered themselves unto him,' ver. 26. But since it
appears from ver. 29, and from Deut. xxxiii. 9, that
some of Levi's sons were in the idolatry, interpreters
rather conclude that all they that did gather to him
were of the sons of Levi, though not that whole tribe.
It may well be thought that Moses knew that God
would not pass by this so great sin, and high provoca-
tion, without some exemplary punishment upon the
offenders, either by pestilence or some other way, as
exposing them to their enemies-, or the like, which he
feared might fall heavy upon the whole people ; and
tjKat therefore, as seme sort of atonement, and to ap-
pease the anger of the Lord towards Israel, he gave
charge to these Leviies, which came to him to 4arm
themselves and go in and out from gate to gate,
through the camp, and slay every man his brother,
FART I*
SACRED HISTORY. 223
companion, and neighbour :' suppose it be meant of
them who they knew' were actually engaged in that
idolatry.
The Levites thus commissioned, fell briefly on : so
that there fell of the people that day about three thou-
sand men. Which though the Lord was pleased to
accept for the present, yet he would not discharge the
people, but threatened them, that 4 in the day when
he should visit, he would visit this their sin upon
them :■ and he did afterwards, upon fresh provoca-
tions, remember this, and added to their punishments,
because of this calf; which the people are said to have
made, because they proposed it, and put Aaron upon
it ; and Aaron is said to have made, because he, at
their requiring, wrought it. The Jews have a saying
among themselves, that no punishment befalleth Is-
rael, in which there is not an ounce of this calf.
After this execution was done, Moses, returning to
the Lord, acknowledged ^Israel's sin, and begged for-
giveness for it : which he did with that earnestness
and concern of spirit, as to pray God ' to blot him out
of his book,' if he would not forgive them. But the
Lord, who knew how repugnant that was to his justice,
gave him this short answer, ' Whosoever hath sinned
against me, him will I blot out of my book.' A puz-
zling place to the strict Predestinarians.
The Lord then commanded Moses to lead on the
people to the place he had appointed ; but withall let
him know he was not willing to go along with them,
seeing they were such a stiff-necked people, lest they
should provoke him to consume them in the way. Yet
he told him he would send his angel before him, to
drive out the inhabitants of the promised land, that so
he might perform the oath he had sworn to Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob.
When the people heard these evil tidings, that God
would withdraw his immediate presence, and tarn
them over to an angel's guidance, they mourned ; and
in token of humbling themselves, they forbore to put
on their ornaments. And Moses, to humble.them the
224 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
more, and make them the more sensible of their sin,
took a tent, and pitching it without the camp, called it
the tabernacle of the congregation : thereby intimat-
ing to them, that the Lord was so highly offended with
them for their idolatry, that he removed from them,
and would not now dwell amongst them, as he had
done before. By this means, every one that sought
the Lord was obliged to go to this tabernacle without
the camp. And when Moses himself went out to it,
as he entered into it, the cloudy pillar, in which the
Lord used to appear, descended and stood at the
door of the tabernacle.
The people now more needfully attended Moses'
motion ; and therefore when he went out to the taber-
nacle, they rose up, and stood every one at his tent
door, looking after him, till he was gone in. And
when they saw the cloudy pillar, which they knew was
a token of God's presence, they all worshipped.
Here the Lord talked with Moses, and permitted
Moses to talk with him familiarly, which, to accom-
modate the speech to man's capacity, is expressed to
be, face to face, as a man speaketh to his friend : which
favour Moses improved to the people's advantage,
labouring with much intreaty to reconcile the Lord
unto them.
After which the Lord having, at Moses' request,
and to comfort and encourage him under his many
exercises, shewn him so much of his glory as Moses
was capable of seeing ; he bid him prepare two new
tables of stone, like unto the former, which he had
broken, and come up himself alone with them in the
morning unto Mount Sinai ; ' and I, said he, will
write upon these tables the words that were in the
first.'
When therefore Moses had hewn the tables, and
presented himself with them before the Lord, the Lord
descending in the cloud, proclaimed, according to his
promise, Exod. xxxiii. 19, the name of the Lord. And
passing by before him, that he might not too much de-
ject the people, through a sense of the severity of his jus-
PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 225
tice, he proclaimed, A The Lord, the Lord God, mer-
ciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in
goodness and truth ; keeping mercy for- thousands,
forgiving (or taking away) iniquity, transgression and
sin.' But that none from so gracious a promulgation
of mercy, might presume to offend with impunity, he
added, 4 And that will by no means clear the guilty :
but will visit the iniquities of the fathers, upon the
children, to the third and fourth generation of them
that hate me,' Exod. xx, and Deut. v. 9. Thereby
giving them to understand that his mercy, though so
transcendantly extensive, would not protect or secure
wilful and impenitent sinners.
This heavenly proclamation made, Moses makes
haste, not only to bow and worship, but taking hold of
the grace and mercy proclaimed, to intercede again
for his people, as God was pleased to call them, Exod.
xxxii. 7, not only that the Lord would pardon their
iniquity, but would vouchsafe, with his own presence,
to accompany them.
The Lord hereupon was intreated, and prevailed
with to renew his covenant with his people. And
having briefly, but with great majesty, set forth the
marvellous things he would do for them in driving
out their enemies before them, he gave them divers
precepts, as the conditions of the covenant, which
they should carefully observe and keep. Amongst
these, that which, as being of greatest moment, ob-
tained the first place, was,
That they should not mix with any other people....
Which command, inasmuch as it is of great weight,
and extends to God's people, in all times and places,
deserves more particularly to be here inserted.
4 Take heed to thyself, said God to his people, lest
thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land
whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst
of thee. But ye shall destroy their altars, break their
images, and cut down their groves. For thou shalt
worship no other God : for the Lord, whose name is
JEHOVAH, is a jealous God. Lest thou make a
226 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go
a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their
gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice,
and thou take of their daughters unto thy sons, and
their daughters go a whoring after their gods, and
make thy sons go a whoring after their gods.'
Now when Moses had been with the Lord in the
mount forty days and forty nights, and had received
of the Lord the law of the ten commadments, written
on the tables of stone, and many other precepts, relat-
ing to the observation of the sabbath, and other ap-
pointed feasts, and other things belonging to the Jew-
ish worship, with directions also for the making of the
tabernacle, &c. (in which time he did neither eat bread
nor drink water, verifying in practice that saying
of our Lord long after, 4 Man shall not live by bread
alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the
mouth of God,' Mat. iv. 4) he went down from the
mount, and delivered these laws to the people.
But he knew not thatT with God's talking with him,
the skin of his face had contracted a splendor, or
shining brightness casting forth as it were irradiations,
or beams. Whence not only the vulgar Latin renders
Moses' face cornuta, horned ; but Moses was wont
of old to be pictured with horns on his head. How-
ever it was, certain it is, that, at the first sight, Aaron
and the Israelites were afraid to come nigh him, and
turned away from him ; probably not knowing him,
until he spake : for after he had called unto them,
it is said, Aaron and all the rulers of the congrega-
tion returned unto him, and he talked with them.
When therefore Moses understood that there was a
brightness upon his face, he put a veil upon it, to cover
that glory which the people could not behold ; and
afterwards all the children of Israel coming nigh, he
gave them in command all that the Lord had spoken
with him in mount Sinai. And from thenceforward,
during the time that that lustre remained upon his
face, he put off the veil when he went in to speak
with the Lord, and put it on again when he came forth
PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 227
to speak unto the people. From which use of the veil,
the apostle Paul, shewing the difference between the
law and the gospel, elegantly compares that to Moses'
face obscured with a veil ; this, to his face unveiled
and brightly shining.
Amongst divers other precepts which, beside the
Decalogue, were now given, one was, that thrice
every year, at three solemn feasts, all the males, or
men'children of the Israelites, should appear before
the Lord, at the place which he should choose to
place his name in.
This, to the eye of human reason, might seem
hazardous ; and they being fighting men, might have
doubted how, % in a fighting age, and environed with
fighting enemies, their wives and families, their goods
and possessions, should be secured from invasions or
depredations, when all their borders and frontier
places should be left unguarded and destitute of
men. But God anticipated the objection, by telling
them, at the same time that he gave them the com-
mand, that he would cast out the nations before them,
and enlarge their borders : nor only so, but added,
4 Neither shall any man desire thy land, when thou
shalt go up to appear before the Lord thy God thrice
in the year.' Hence then may be observed, that they
who in the faith obey God, and rely on him, may
expect and find protection without arms, and defence
without fighting.
At this time also did Moses acquaint the people
with the Lord's command, that they should bring in
their offerings, being materials for the making of the
tabernacle, the particulars whereof are enumerated in
ver. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, of this chapter, as they were before
in Exodus xxv, For when Moses went into the mount
the first time, God gave him the same direction about
the tabernacle : but by reason of the people's trans-
gression in the calf, it was not then delivered to them.
This offering was not to be exacted ; but they might
receive /^j^every cme that gaye it with a willing
jieart. And the Lor4 so inclined and opened the
£28 SACRED HISTORY", PART I.
hearts of the people, that they brought in their offer-
ings in great abundance. So that the officers ap-
pointed to receive them, making report to Moses,
that the people had brought in much more than enough
for the service of the work, proclamation was made
that no more should be brought, Exod. xxxvi. 5, 6 ;
so that their liberality was restrained.
The materials thus conferred, were delivered to
Bezaleel, whom the Lord had called by name, and
, had filled with the spirit of God in wisdom, under-
standing, and knowledge in all manner of workman-
ship : who, with Aholiah, and every wise hearted
man, in whose heart the Lord had put wisdom, and
whose heart stirred him up to do it, undertook the
work, and finished it. Nor were the women excluded ;
but had their share, both in the offerings, Exod.
xxxviii. 8, and in the work of the Lord (not every
woman, as not every man, but) all the women that
were wise hearted ; all the women whose heart stirred
them up in wisdom, chap. xxxv. 25, 26.
Now when the whole work was finished and brought
to Moses, and he, having viewed it, found that they
had done it as the Lord had commanded, he blessed
them.
And on the first day of the first month, in the se-
cond year after they came out of Egypt, the taberna-
cle was by God's command set up ; and all its furni-
ture disposed in the proper places.* Which done,
the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord filled it.
So that for a while, even Moses was not able to enter
into it: and this cloud was the signal to the people of
Israel, by which they knew both when to inarch, and
when to rest. For when the cloud was taken up from
over the tabernacle, the children of Israel journied :
but if the cloud were not taken up, they journied not
until it was.
* A. M. 2515.
THE END OF THE BOOK OF EXODUS.
THE
3300ft of letotinia:
so called,
BECAUSE IT TREATS OF THE TRIBE OF LEVI, AND THE
THINGS BELONGING TO THEIR OFFICE '. IT CONTAINS
After the tabernacle was set up, the altar fitted,
and all things prepared for public worship, the Lord
proceeded to give direction to Moses, and by him to
the people, how, when, with what, by whom, and in
what manner, his worship under that dispensation
should be performed ; which being set forth at large
from the first chapter to the eighth, and the consecra-
tion of Aaron and his sons in chapter eighth, the ninth
chapter gives account of the first burnt offerings that
were offered by Aaron, first for himself, and then for
the people. To which the Lord was pleased to give a
miraculous testimony, by causing the fire to come out
from before the Lord, which consumed the burnt of-
fering upon the altar, in the sight of the people.
Whereupon the people shouted, for joy that God had
so signally owned the offering, and in reverence bowed
themselves.
The fire thus kindled ought to have been kept burn-
ing, and not to have been let go out, for so had the
Lord expressly commanded. c The fire upon the altar
vol. i. u
230 SACKED HISTORY. PART I.
shall be burning in it ; it shall not be put out ; and the
priest shall burn wood on it every morning : The
fire shall ever be burning upon the altar ; it shall never
go out,* Levit. vi. 12, 13.
But Nadab and Abihu, the two elder sons of Aaron
the priest, forgetful of their charge and duty, whether
having let it go out, or not regarding the holy fire,
4ook either of them his censer, (an instrument some-
what like a little fire-shovel, made at first of brass, af-
terwards of gold) and putting common fire therein,
laid incense thereon, and so offered strange fire before
the Lord, which he comma, ded them not. Where-
upon there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured
them, so that they died before the Lord, Levit. x.
From whence may be observed,
1. That in religious performances, all fire which is
not from the Lord, and of his own kindling, is but
strange fire to him.
2. That to do or perform any thing, as a part of
religious worship to God, which he hath not com*
manded, is to offer strange fire before him.
3. That the Lord will not accept such offerings as
are made with false fire : but his fire will devour them
that offer the false fire, and they will die before the
Lord, though they may not then die outwardly before
men.
This breach in Aaron's family, and young priest-
hood, must needs be a sore affliction to Aaron. But
he might remember the calf; and perhaps did : for he
held his peace when Moses told him, l This is that
the Lord spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them
that come nigh me ; and before all the people I will
be glorified.'
Moses, however, having called some of the kindred,
and ordered them to carry the dead bodies from be-
fore the sanctuary, out of the camp, which they did
in their coats, without funeral pomp;* gave charge
to Aaron, and his other two sons, Eleasar and Ithamar,
that they should not use any of those tokens to express.
• A. M. 2515.
PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 231
their grief or mourning which were then in fashion,
as uncovering the head, and rending the clothes*
Which may be a good instruction and warning to
others, to beware of murmuring or extreme sorrow-
ing, when the hand of the Lord comes near in judgment.
Whether those sons of Aaron had too far indulged
themselves in the use of wine, or other strong liquors,
might have made them forgetful of their duty, doth
not plainly appear. Yet some of the Jewish doctors,
Dr. Gell says, plainly affirm it. And there is some
ground to suspect it ; because as soon as they were
carried out, the Lord charged Aaron and his sons, on
pain of death, not to drink wine or strong drink, when
they were to go into the tabernacle of the congrega-
tion ; telling them, it shall be a statute throughout all
their generations. And he assigns there the reason
of this so strict prohibition, ' That ye may put differ-
ence between holy and unholy, and between unclean
and clean ; and that ye may teach the children of
Israel all the statutes, which the Lord hath spoken to
them by Moses.'
After this follow many temporary laws, fitted to that
dispensation and people ; as the distinction of meats,
the law of purifications, Levit. xi, xii, xiii, xiv, xv,
xvi, xvii, xviii ; of persons unclean, by leprosy, or
otherwise ; to which are added, divers other laws re-
lating to their offerings. And in chapter eighteen, the
boundaries of marriage are set ; first in general :
4 None of you shall approach to any that is near of
kin to him, to uncover their nakedness ; I am the
Lord.' After which follows an enumeration of divers
degrees, in particulars prohibited. Which specialties
do not restrain the general prohibition to those parti-
cular degrees only : but the general prohibition ex-
tends by analogy to all other degrees, though not men-
tioned, of- like nearness with any of them that are
there mentioned ; and generally to all that is near of
kin. Besides, since in ver. 3, the children of Israel
are positively forbidden, ' To do after the doings of
the land of Egypt,' (from whence they came) or c After
232 9ACREB HISTORY. PART I.
the doings of the land of Canaan,' (whither they were
fhen going) ; all such near degrees of kindred, as
among Egyptians or Canaanites were permitted to
join in marriage, may reasonably be supposed to be
comprehended under this general prohibition.
The rest of this book is spent partly in repeating
laws given before, partly in giving new laws, some
judicial, most ceremonial ; divers typifying the since-
rity, purity, holiness, and perfection of gospel wor-
ship and worshippers, those especially which more
directly concerned that legal priesthood taken out of
the tribes of Levi. From the ordering of which, this
book was called Leviticus, Levit. xix, xx, xxi, xxii.
It affords not much of historical matter. Yet in
chap, xxiv, a relation is given of one whose mother's
name was Shelomith, an Israelitish woman, of the
tribe of Dan: but his father, it seems, was an Egyp-
tian ; and supposed to be a proselyte to Israel.
This young man, going out of his tent among the
children of Israel, happened to fall out with a marj^of
Israel, so that they wrestled or strove together ; and
Shelomith's son blasphemed the name of the Lord,
and cursed. Whereupon being apprehended, and
brought before Moses, he was committed to custody,
till the mind of the Lord should be known concerning
him. For though the third command in the Deca-
logue forbids the taking of the name of the Lord in
vain, yet this blasphemous cursing being an offence
of an higher strain, against which no positive law was
vet provided, Moses had recourse to the Lord for
counsel and direction therein. ' And the Lord said,
bring forth him that hath cursed without the camp ;
and let all that heard him lay their hands upon his
head, and let all the congregation stone him ;' which
accordingly was done. And a law was thereupon
made, that he who thenceforward should blaspheme
the name of the Lord, whether he were an Iraelite or
a. stranger, should be stoned to death.*
* A. M. 2515.
tHE END OF THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS*
THE
so called,
PROM NUMBERING THE PEOPLE : CONTAINING AN HIS-
TORY OF SOMEWHAT MORE THAN THIRTY-EIGHT
YEARS.
Israel was yet in their old station, in the wilder-
ness of Sinai, to which they came from Rephidim, in
the third month after they came out of Egypt, Exod.
xix. 1, 2; and had tarried there till now, which was
the beginning of the second month, in the second
year of their coming out of Egypt.
While they lay encamped here, the Lord appointed
Moses to take Aaron, and with him one principal man
of every tribe, whom the Lord pitched on by name,
and make a general muster of the men of war. 'Take
ye, said he, the sum of all the congregation of the
children of Israel, after their families, by the house
of their fathers, with the number of their names,
every male by the poll, from twenty years old and
upvv ard, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel ;
thosl and Aaron shall number them by their armies.'
INIoses therefore and Aaron, with their assistants in
this service, having taken an exact account by the poll,
of all the males from twenty years old and upwards,
that were able to go forth to war in Israel, found the
number to be 4 Six hundred and three thousand five
u 2
234 SACRED HISTORY. PART I*
hundred and fifty men,' Numb, i ; without and besides
the Levites. For the whole tribe of Levi God had
expressly exempted out of this muster, because he
had designed them to the peculiar service of the
tabernacle ; not only to take the charge thereof, and
of all the vessels belonging thereunto, but to take
down the tabernacle upon every remove, and to carry
both the tabernacle, and the vessels thereof, and set
it up again when they pitched anew.
By this we may give a guess how much this people
were increased in number in this year's time, notwith-
standing they had been in a travelling condition, had
had a fight with Amalek, (wherein probably some of
them might fall, while Amalek prevailed, Exod. xvii.
11) and had lost about three thousand men up©n the
score of their calf. For they were computed to be
but about six hundred thousand men, including the
tribe of Levi with them, when they came out of
Egypt, Exod. xxii. 37. And now they were six hun-
dred three thousand five hundred and fifty men, be-
sides the tribe of Levi ; which, being numbered by
itself, yielded two and twenty thousand males, of a
month old and upwards, Numb. iii. 89.
From this numbering of the people, this book, which
gives the account thereof, is called Numbers.
This general muster being made, the order and
manner of their encamping follows :
They were disposed, or marshalled, into four great
bodies, or battalions, each under one general standard ;
and were so placed, that they encompassed and enclos-
ed the tabernacle. For that being first pitched, the
standard of the camp of Judah, under which were
the tribes of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulon, pitched
over against it, on the east side of it towards the
rising of the sun. •
On the south side was the standard of the camp of
Reuben; under which were the tribes of Reuben, Si-
meon, and Gad.
On the west side was the standard of the camp of
Ephraim ; under which were the tribes of Ephraim,
Manasseh, and Benjamin.
PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 235
And on the north side was the standard of the
camp of Dan; under" which were the tribes of Dan,
Asher, and Naphtali, Numb. ii.
Some tell us, and not without good shew of reason,
that between each tribe, in every one of those four
quarters or camps, there were left distant spaces like
streets, for buying and selling.... See Goodwyn's Moses
and Aaron, 1. 6, c. 8. The distance also between these
four great camps and the tabernacle, is supposed to
be two thousand cubits, or a mile, on every side ;
which may be gathered from Josh. iii. 4.
In this vacant distance, between the four great
camps and the tabernacle, were pitched four lesser
camps, consisting of the priests and Levites, nearer
the tabernacle, in and about which their service lay....
4 The Levites shall pitch round about the tabernacle
of the testimony,' Numb. i. 53. These were thus
disposed :
On the east side did encamp Moses and Aaron,
with Aaron's sons, keeping the charge of the sanctu-
ary, Numb. iii.
On the south side where the Kohathites, a part of
the Levites, descended and taking name from Kohath,
the second son of Levi.
On the west side, behind the tabernacle, stood the
Gershonites, another part of the Levites from Ger-
shon, Levi's eldest son.
And on the north side were planted the Merarites,
the remaining part of the Levites, sprung from Me-
rari, Levi's youngest son.
This was the order in which they stood encamped.
The manner of their dislodging and marching follows
not yet in the text ; some other things, relating to the
Levites' services, and other matters, being interposed.
But because there is some connection of matter, in the
Israelites' encamping and discamping, I am willing to
connect the relations of them here.
When they were to remove and march, which was
when the cloud was taken off the tabernacle, the
trumpet was sounded j and upon the first alarm, the
236 SACRED HISTORY. PART U
standard of the camp of Judah being raised, the three
tribes which were under that standard set forward ,
Numb. x.
Then the tabernacle being taken down, the Ger-
shonites and the Merarites set forward, bearing the-
tabernacle, that is, the boards and staves of the taber-
nacle, in waggons, which the princes of the tribes, at
the erecting of the tabernacle, had offered to the
Lord, and he had appointed to that service, Numb,
vii. 2 to 9.
These being on their march, a second alarm was
given by sound of trumpet. Whereupon the standard
of Reuben's camp set forward, with the three tribes
that belonged to it.
And after them followed the Kohathites, bearing
the sanctuary ; which being more holy, and less cum-
bersome to carry, than the boards and staves of the
tabernacle, was not to be put in waggons, but borne
on their shoulders.
Next followed the standard of Ephraim's camp,
with the tribes under it. And last of all, the other
three tribes, under the standard of Dan, brought up
the rear.
Having thus taken a brief survey of the Israelites,
both in their camps and marches, let us now look
back to those chapters we stepped over, and observe
what is most memorable in them.
There we have the Lord's taking the Levites to
himself, in exchange for the first born, with the reason
of his so doing ; and his giving the Levites to the
priests, for the service of the tabernacle ; distributing
them into three classes or orders, and appointing them
their several services, set forth at large, in chap, iii,
and iv.
After which follows that clear and excellent type of
gospel purity, and Christian church discipline, expres-
sed in God's commanding the children of Israel to
put out of the camp every leper, and every one that
had a running issue, and whosoever was defiled by the
dead, both male and female, that they might not defile
their camps, in the midstof which the Lord dwelled.
PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 237
Then follow divers laws relating to restitution in
cases of trespass, and to the trial of jealousy between
men and their wives ; as also to the vow of Nazarites.
To which is subjoined the form of that divine blessing,
which the Lord himself did dictate, for the priests to
pronounce upon the people, in chap. vi.
The ofFerings of the princes, at the dedication both
of the tabernacle and the altar, he. are set down at
length in the seventh chapter. The consecration and
purification of the Levites in chapter eight. A rein-
forcement of the passover ; and the guidance of the
Israelites by the cloud, in chapter nine. Which brings
us to the order of both their encamping and marching,
in chapter ten, of which we have taken a view before.
To proceed now therefore from the order of action.
The people, having lain a pretty while before the
mount of the Lord, did now depart from thence ; and
the ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them,
to search out a resting-place for them. At the setting
forward of the ark, Moses said, ' Rise up, Lord, ancl
let thine enemies be scattered, and let them that hate
thee flee before thee.' And when the ark rested
again, he added, 4 Return, O Lord, unto the many
thousands of Israel.' Three days' journey they now
marched, till they came to a place which afterwards
was called Kibroth-Hattaavah, or the graves of lust,
from a doleful occasion, which was this :
The people were got again into a murmuring hu-
mour, ancl began to grumble and complain. Which
the Lord hearing, and being displeased at, his anger
was kindled, and that kindled a fire among them,
which consumed such of them as were in the outer-
most parts of the camp. The people hereupon cried
to Moses ; and Moses prayed to the Lord on their
behalf; whereupon the fire was quenched, and the
name of that place called Taberah, which signifies a
burning, because the fire of the Lord burned among
them, Numb. xi.
This seems to have befallen them in their journey
between station and station, as they were travelling
238 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
from Sinai to Kibroth-Hattaavah. And this, one
would think, might have been a fair warning to thern^
and have taught them to be quiet.
But they were a dissatisfied people, and loved to in-
dulge their appetites, which often cost them dear ; and
so now. For being come to new quarters, they ex-
pected better fare ; and so gave scope to their appe-
tites, to lust after that which was not fit for them.
This lusting first began, it seems in the mixed multi-
tude that was amongst them (of which we read, Exod.
xii. 38, that a mixed multitude went up out of Egypt
with them) ; and the Israelites being in a discontented
temper, too readily fell in with them, saying, ' Who
shall give us flesh to eat V
Then, to heighten each other's discontent they call
to mind the brave fare (as they now thought it) which
they had had in Egypt : but say not a word of their
burdens, their labour and their toil in Egypt in getting
stubble, and making and burning brick ; nor the blows
and stripes they had received, for not doing their
tasks. » We remember, said they one to another, the
flesh we did eat in Egypt freely ; the cucumbers and
the melons, the leeks, the onions and the garlick.'
Thus they gloried in their Egyptian fare, both meat
and sauce ; commending their condition in Egypt,
and wishing they had not come from thence.
But to shew their dislike and contempt of their pre-
sent food, which God provided for them, every morn-
ing fresh and fresh, they said, 4 But now our life is
dried away : for we have nothing to eat, but this
manna.' This they uttered weeping ; but with such a
tone, that it is said, c Moses heard the people weep,
throughout their families, every man at the door of
his tent :' at which Moses was displeased ; but the
Lord's anger was kindled gready.
Moses hereupon taking occasion to pour forth his
grief before the Lord, and to complain of the weight
of the burden, which the care of so numerous and
discontented a people brought upon him, the Lord
was graciously pleased to provide a remedy ; directing
-A
PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 239
him to choose out seventy men of the elders of Israel,
and bring them with him to the tabernacle of the con-
gregation. i And there, said the Lord, I will come
down and talk with thee ; and I will take of the spirit
which is upon thee, and will put it upon them : and
they shall bear the burden of the people with thee,
that thou bear it not thyself alone.'
Hence may be observed,
1 . That there is a spirit of government.
2. That this spirit of government is of God, comes
from him, is given by him.
3. That he transfers this spirit of government from
one to another, as he pleases.
4. That none are fit to govern God's people, though
they be elders, till they have received this spirit of
government from God.
5. That they who have received this spirit of gov-
ernment, are thereby distinguished from others that
have it not, and from what they themselves were be-
fore they had it.
For as soon as Moses had brought the seventy
elders before the Lord, and the Lord had taken of the
spirit that was upon him, and given it unto them ;
while the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied,...
Nay, two of those seventy, though they came not out
with the rest of the tabernacle, but remained behind
in the camp ; yet, not doing it in a gainsaying or op-
posite mind, they were taken in among the rest, and
received of the spirit, as the others did ; and prophe-
sied in the camp, as the others prophesied at the taber-
nacle.
The unusualness of this caused a young man to run
from the camp to the tabernacle, to acquaint Moses,
that Eldad and Me dad (so were they named) were
prophesying in the camp.* Which message Joshua,
Moses' servant, another young man, who was not yet
so thoroughly acquainted with the way of the Lord's
working, as afterwards he came to be, over-hearing,
and thinking it some derogation from his master that
* A, M. 2515,
240 SACRED HISTORY. PART 1.
they should prophesy, and not follow him, advised his
master to forbid them; but was presently stopped
with this gentle reproof, ' Dost thou envy for my sake ?
Would to God that all the Lord's people were pro-
phets, so that the Lord would put his spirit upon
them.'
As to the people's demand of flesh, which in his
complaint Moses had spread before the Lord, the
Lord ordered Moses to bid them prepare themselves
against to-morrow, for they should have flesh enough.
*• The Lord will give you flesh, said he, and ye shall
eat, not one day only, nor two days, nor five, nor ten,
nor twenty ; but for a whole month together, until it
come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto
you: because ye have despised the Lord, who is
among you (in despising and loathing his provision) ;
and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth
out of Egypt?'
Jt was hard to Moses to apprehend how such a nu-
merous host should be fed with flesh so long together,
in such a place as they were in. ' The people, said
he to God, amongst whom I am, are six hundred
thousand footmen (nay, they were six hundred three
thousand five hundred and fifty, besides the tribe of
Levi, -and besides women and children) ; and thou
hast said, I will give them flesh, that they may eat a
whole month. Shall the flocks and the herds be slain
for them to suffice them? Or, shall all the fish in the
sea be gathered together for them to suffice them ?'
The Lord considered the greatness of Moses' ex-
ercise, and therefore bore with him ; and only giving
him this gentle rebuke, c Is the Lord's hand waxed
short ?' added, ' Thou shalt see now whether my word
shall come t® pass unto thee or not.'
Accordingly, when Moses with the elders was gone
back to the camp, and had acquainted the people with
it, ' There went forth a wind, (not a common wind,
but) a wind from the Lord, which fought quails from
the sea, and let them fall about a da^'s journey off,
(understand it of a sabbath day's journey, which some
VAUT I. SACRED HISTORY, 241
suppose to be a mile, some two miles) round about
the camp, where they lay upon the ground two cubits
(which supposing it to be spoken of the common,
which is the shortest cubit, is a yard) high.'
Forthwith the people fell eagerly to gathering up
the quails ; and all that day, all that night, and all the
next day they spent about it ; every one gathering
great and almost incredible quantities. Nor may wc
suppose they were less greedy in eating them. 4 But
while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was
chewed, the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the
people, and he smote them with a very great plague.'
Thus, when people provoke the Lord, by not being sat- .
isfied with what he gives them, but craving that which
they should not have, they sometimes have their re-
quests granted, in judgment to them ; and what they
so obtain oft times proves a plague to them. Here
they buried those of the people, who, for lusting after
nesh, were smitten with the plague : and from thence
the place was called Kibroth-Hattaavah : which signU
fies 4 the graves of lust.'
This was no good place to stay in : from hence
therefore the people journied to Hazeroth, which sig-
nifies palaces. But here another unhappy accident
befell them, occasioned thus :
Moses had married Jethro's daughter, who was a
Midianitess; and some squabble, it is supposed, had
happened, or evil emulation risen, between Zipporah,
Moses' wife, and Miriam his sister. However it was,
Miriam taking occasion, partly from his having mar-
ried this wife, who, though she came of Abraham by
Keturah, yet was not by birth an Israelite, and partly
from his eminent station in the camp, and among the
people, vented her displeasure upon her brother Moses.
And she having begun, her brother Aaron fell in with
her, in speaking against their brother Moses, Numb,
xii.
4 And Miriam and Aaron, the text says, spake
against Moses, because of the Ethiopian woman that
•VOL. I. yr
£42 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
he had married.' So, in contempt, they called her, as
if she had indeed been an Ethiopian, because the Mi-
dianites bordered upon the Ethiopians. This, as being
more specious, they made the pretence of their quarrel ;
but the ground or bottom of it seems to have been an
emulation of his gifts and authority. For they added,
f What ! hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses ?
Hath he not spoken also by us ?' As if they had said,
Wherein is Moses better than we, that he should be
so set up ? Am not I, Miriam, elder than he, and a
prophetess ? (so she is called, Exod. xv. 20.) And
am not I, Aaron the high-priest, and elder than he
also ? Why must we be overlooked, and he be all in
sill ?
Moses was not ignorant of their discontent and de?
traction ; and though no man was more sensible than
he, or readier to resent an indignity offered to the
Lord, yet looking upon this as a personal pique at him-
self, he would not take notice of it. But the Lord,
who sees and hears all things, is said (after the man-
ner of meti) to have heard this their reproach and
contempt of his servant Moses ; and he would not put
it up. Wherefore, on a sudden, calling forth Moses,
Aaron, and Miriam before him, at the door of the
tabernacle, he there, before Moses, gave them a sharp
rebuke, asking them, l Wherefore they were not afraid
to speak against his servant Moses?' And to presume
to equal themselves to him, who was more than an
ordinary prophet? Then departing from th'em in high
displeasure, he smote Miriam (who in this case was
the prime offender) with leprosy ; so that Aaron look-
ing on her, saw she was white as snow. He therefore
presently applied himself to Moses, whom they had so
lately despised-, and confessing their sin, begged his
pardon, and interceded for his sister.
Good Moses thereupon cried unto the Lord, be-
seeching him to heal her. But the Lord would make
her an example, that others might be wary how they
moved sedition in the camp. Therefore he gave order,
that (though she was Miriam) she should be shut out
PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 243
from the camp for the space of seven days, as every
common leper and all unclean persons were, and then
to be received in again. This made the people tarry-
longer in this place than otherwise they would have
done ; for they journied not till Miriam was brought
in again ; and then they removed from Hazeroth, and
took up their next station at Rithmah, in the wilder-
ness of Paran.
From thence by many removes, and about seven-
teen several stations, (which see in Numb, xxxiii, from
ver. 19 to 36) they came at length to Kadesh-barnea.
And here Moses let them know that they were now
come unto the mountain of the Amorites, which the
Lord their God had given them ; and that the Lord
their God had' set the land before them (that is, had
brought them just to the border of it) : wherefore he
bade them go up and possess it, as the Lord God tff
their fathers had said they should ; and not fear, nor
be discouraged, Deut. i, ver. 20, 21. But truly they
began to draw back, and proposed the sending of cer-
tain men beforehand to search out the land, and bring
them word by what way they must go up, and what
cities they should go into.
The Lord therefore, to try them to the full, conde-
scended thereunto ; and bade Moses send men, one
chosen out of every tribe, to search the land of Ca-
naan. Moses thereupon chose out twelve men, that
were heads of the children of Israel, who are there
named, and sent them forth to spy the land, Num. xiii.
Their instruction was to go up southward in the
land of Canaan, and see and observe what kind oi
country it was ; what sort of people dwelt in it ;
whether they were lusty, large, strong-bodied men ;
or small, weak, feeble folks ; and whether the inhabit-
ants were few or many; whether they generally dwelt
in tents and open villages, or in strong holds ; and
of what strength their cities were. Then as to the
soil itself, whether the land was fat or lean, fruitful or
barren; and whether the country was woody, or an
open champaign country.*
* A. M. 2515.
244 SACRED HISTORY, PART I.
Thus instructed and exhorted to be courageous, and
bring with them some of the fruit of the land, they
set forward, probably two and two together, both that
they might pass less observed, and might have the
better opportunity of viewing the land more fully....
And having coasted the country from south to north,
in their return coming to a rich valley, they there cut
down a branch of a vine, having one cluster of grapes
upon it; but that of so great bigness and weight, that
they were obliged to carry it upon a staff between two.
The name of that place was afterwards called the val-
ley of Eschcol, which signifies a cluster of grapes;
because of the cluster they there cut off.
Having spent forty days in searching the land, they
returned with their load of grapes, and some pome-
granates and figs, and came to the camp of Israel at
Kadesh, where they left it. And having shewed the
fruits of the land to Moses, Aaron, and the whole
congregation, they related the observations they had
made in their journey.
But in giving the account thereof, they who under-
took that province, though they were forced to ac-
knowledge the goodness and richness of the land,
which the fruits they had brought were a proof of;
yet they followed that acknowledgment with a dis-
couraging, nevertheless :
4 Nevertheless, said they, the people be strong that
dwell in the land ; and the cities are walled and very
great.' Neither is that all, or the worst: 4 But more-
over, we saw the children of Anak there.' Then
reckoning up the strength of their enemies : * The
Amalekites, said they, dwell in the south part of the
land ; the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites
in the mountains, and the Canaanites by the sea, and
by the coast of Jordan.'
■' This was frightful news to a faint-hearted people,
prepared by their own discontents to receive ill im-
pressions from others. And doubtless they quickly
shewed their unruliness : for we read in the next
words, that Caleb, with whom Joshua joined, did what
PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 245
he could to still the people before Moses, saying, c Let
us go up by all means, and possess the country, for we
are well able to overcome it.'
But the other ten spies told the people, ' We are not
able to go up against that people: for they are stronger
than we.' And whereas before they had spoken well
of the land itself, confessing it was assuredly a land
flowing with milk and honey, yet now, to beget in the
people an ill opinion of it, they say, in contradiction
to themselves, '•It is aland that eateth up the inhabit-,
ants thereof.' And to terrify the people the more,
they tell them of the giants they saw there, the sons
of Anak, in comparison of whom, they hyperbolically
say, they were in their sight, and in their own also,
but as grasshoppers or locusts. Nay, they stretch so
far as to tell them, that 4 all the people they saw in the
land were men of great stature.'
This put the whole camp into great disorder. Some
fell a roaring, others a weeping, all a murmuring
against Moses and Aaron. ' Would God we had
died in the land of Egypt : or would God we had died
in the wilderness,' said* the whole congregation. Nor
stopped their rage at Moses and Aaron, but rose
higher : they struck at God himself, obliquely charging
him with breach of promise, Numb. xiv. 4 Where-
fore, said they, hath the Lord brought us into this
land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our chil-
dren should be a prey ?' As if they had said, he pro-
mised to give us this land, and to settle us quietly in
it; and now instead of that, after so long a travel,
and so many hardships as we have undergone to come
to it, he hath brought us hither to be cut in pieces by
these monstrous giants. To avoid this danger, c Were
it not better, said some to the rest, for us to return into
Egypt I' To that proposition these mutineers could
readily listen : and ihey said one to another, i Let us
make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.'
How great now must the exercise needs be of
Joshua and Caleb ! They were of them that searched
the land j but they were but two to ten. Yet they stood
w 2
246 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
boldly up in the zeal of the Lord, and having rent their
clothes, through excessive sorrow, they spake unto all
the company, saying, ' The iand which we passed
through to search it, is an exceeding good land, flow-
ing indeed with milk and honey (that is, abounding
with all good and necessary provisions) ; and if the
Lord delight in us, he will bring us into this land, and
give it us : only hinder not yourselves of it, by rebel-
ling against the Lord ; neither fear the people of the
land, for they are but as bread to us (that is, we shall
as surely overcome them, as we eat our food). For
their defence is departed from them : but the Lord,
who is our defence, is with us , therefore fear them
not.'
So far were the people from being reclaimed by this
pathetic speech, that ail the congregation bade stone
them with stones that spake it : which probably they
had done, had not the glory of the Lord visibly ap-
peared at that instant, in the tabernacle of the congre-
gation, before all the children of Israel.
Meanwhile good Moses with Aaron lay prostrate
on their faces, in the sight of the people, supplicating
the Lord for mercy to them. Whereupon the Lord,
expostulating with Moses, said, c How long shall this
people provoke me ? And how long will it be ere they
believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed
amongst them ? (Let me alone, Exod. xxxii. 10, and)
I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit
them, and will make of thee a greater nation, and
mightier than they.'
Who, but a Moses, would have again refused such
an offer ? but he, postponing his own private advan-
tage arid honour, to the honour of God and the good
oi that people, applied himself with all earnestness to
intercede with the Lord for them. Nor gave he over,
till what with reasoning, what with humbly intreating
,.i for them, he prevailed with the Lord to say, I
have pardoned (as to the utter destroying and disin-
L; riting them as I threatened) according to thy Word.
Bu1 i. notwithstanding, inasmuch as these men who
PART I« SACRED HISTORY. ' 247
have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I have
wrought in Egypt, and in the wilderness, have tempted
me now so often, and have not hearkened to my voice,
assuredly they shall not see the land which I have pro-
mised unto their fathers, neither shall any of them
that provoked me see it. Wherefore say unto the
people, ' As I live, saith the Lord, as ye have spoken
in mine ears, so will I do unto you. Your carcases
shall fall in this wilderness ; and of all that were
numbered of you from twenty years old and upwards,
because ye have murmured against me, none shall
come into the land, save Caleb and Joshua. Yet
will I make good my promise which I made to your
fathers. For your little ones, which ye said should
be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know
the land which ye have despised. But as for you,
who are gathered together against me, your carcases
shall fall in this wilderness : there ye shall be con-
sumed, and there ye shall die. And your children
(though they shall possess $ie good land when ye are
dead) shall wander in the wilderness forty years ; and
shall bear your whoredoms (the punishment due for
your whoredoms) until your carcases be wasted in the
wilderness. After the number of days in which ye
searched the land, even forty days (each day for a
year) shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years :
and ye shall know my breach of promise/ that
is, what it is to charge me, as ye have done, with breach
of promise to you : or what it is to break promise or
covenant with me, as ye have done.
But though God, at the instant intreaty of Moses,
did reverse his sentence of present death upon the
whole congregation of murmurers, yet the ten false
spies, the immediate authors of this rebellion, who
had brought up an evil report upon the good land,
were punished with death at that time ; for they died
by the plague before the Lord. But Caleb and Joshua,
who were men of a right spirit, and falniled the will
of the Lord, they were preserved alive, were com-
mended of God, and had his promise, that they should
enter into and possess the good land.
248 SACRED HISTORY". PARTI.
At this time it is supposed, and upon this occasion,
Moses wrote that precatory Psalm, which in the book
of Psalms is the ninetieth Psaim in number. Which,
therefore, the reader may do well to turn to, and read
in this place.
When Moses had told the children of Israel what
the Lord had determined concerning them, it is said,
they mourned greatly. But it doth not appear they
were grown more subject, or were better disposed to
obey the Lord. For whereas the Lord, not only in
pursuance of his purpose concerning them, (to wear
them out in the wilderness) but to prevent their being
beaten by the Amalekites and Canaanites, who pre-
pared to fight them, and he was not willing their ene-
mies should glory in a victory over them, nor yet so
far to own and stand by them, in their present temper,
as to give them victory over their enemies, and there-
fore had given order, 4 that the next day they should
turn, and get them into the wilderness again, by the
way of the Red Sea ;' they got up betimes in the
morning, and marching up unto the top of the moun-
tain, cried, ' Lo, we be here ready, and we will go
up unto the place which the Lord hath promised : for
we have sinned,' that is, in not going up when we
were bid. So now being sensible they had offended
before in drawing back, when they should have gone
on, they would now make amends by rushing on when
they should have gone back. But this being under-
taken in their own rebellious wills, as well as the other,
was but adding sin to sin. God will be served in his
own time and way.
Moses would fain have restrained them. He asked
them, i Why they would now again transgress the
command of the Lord V Ke told them, c Their en-
terprize should not prosper ; bid them not go up, that
they might not be smitten before their enemies ; told
them, the Lord was not among them ; that the Amale-
kites and Canaanites were got thither before them ;
and that, if they went on, they should fall by the
sword j and in fine told them, because they were
PART I. SACKED HISTOR.Y. 249
turned from the Lord, the Lord would not be with
them.'
All this, notwithstanding, they, being heady and
presumptuous, would go up: and though the ark of
the Lord, which was to go before the host in battle,
went not, and Moses their captain did not stir out of
the camp, yet up they went unto the hill-top. But
they were met with: for the Amalekites, having pos-
sessed themselves of the place, came pouring down
upon them ; and the Canaanites, which dwelt in the
hill, falling in with them, smote them, and discom-
fited thern. And this they got by their unruliness.
Moses tells us, in Dent. i. 2, 4 That there were
eleven days' journey from Horeb to Kadesh-barnea :'
and yet the people of Israel, through their wayward-
ness and disobedience, spent the best part of two years
in going that eleven days' journey. But more strange
it is, that, being now returned back again from Kadesh-
barnea, when they were near the confines of the pro-
mised land, they should be eight and thirty years more
wandering about in that wilderness, before they could
come to the borders of the promised land again. Yet
that so long they were, Moses expressly says ; ' The
space in which we came from Kadesh-barnea, until -ve
were come over the brook Zered, was thirty and eight
years,' Deut. ii. 14.
In this time many accidents befell them, and many
remarkable occurrences are recorded of them. Of
which the first is, of a man, who by a law made ex post
facto, (as in the case of the blasphemer, mentioned
before, Levit. xxiv) was stoned to death for break-
ing the sabbath, by gathering sticks on that day,
Numb. xv.
Next follows that horrible rebellion and schism, be-
gan by Korah, great grandson to Levi, who, as that
which is called the Bishop's Bible, printed anno 1600,
renders it, went apart, (that is, divided or separated
himself from Moses and Aaron) and having seduced
Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, of Reuben's fam-
ily, and drawn in some others, to the number of two
250 SACRED HISTORY. PARTI.
hundred and fifty, princes of the assembly, men of
renown, famous in the congregation, men of name
and interest among the people y they rose up against
Moses and Aaron, charging them that they took too
much upon them ; and pretending that all the congre-
gation was holy, and that the Lord was among them,
they upbraidingly asked Moses and Aaron, l Where-
fore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation
of the Lord?' Numb. xvi.
When Moses saw and heard this, apprehensive of
the danger and hurt, a conspiracy so headed might
produce, he fell on his face (a phrase used to express
divine adoration and application to God for help) ; and
good reason there is to believe, that in that humble
posture the Lord appeared to him, and both comforted
and counselled him. For presently after we read he
spake unto Koran and his company, letting them
know, with great assurance, that on the morrow the
Lord would decide the controversy, and would make
appear who were his, and who was holy; and would
cause him whom he had chosen to come near unto
him.
Then mildly expostulating the matter with them, to
let them see they took too much upon them, he said to
Korah, and the other Levites that joined with him,
1 Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi, seemeth it but a
small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath sep-
arated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring
you near unto himself, to do the service of the taber-
nacle of the Lord, and to stand before the congrega-
tion, to minister unto them ; and hath brought thee,
Korah, near ; and all thy brethren, the sons of Levi,
with thee ? And seek ye the priesthood also ? for that
is the cause for which thou, and all thy company, are
gathered together against the Lord.' For whatever
ye may pretend against Aaron, it is against the Lord,
and against his appointment, that ye thus murmur and
conspire : ' For alas 1 what is Aaron, that ye should
murmur against him ?'.#
* A, M. 251?,
?ART I. SACRED HISTORY. 251
Dathan and Abiram, it seems, stood off at a dis-
tance : for Moses sent to call them to come up to him.
But they, grown heady and resolute, answered surlily,
' We will not come up.' Andto retort his own ex-
pression upon himself, < Is it a small thing, said they,
that thou hast brought us up out of the land that flow-
eth with milk and honey (so in contempt of Canaan,
they cry up Egypt) to kill us in the wilderness, except
thou make thyself altogether a prince over us ?' More-
over, added they upbraidingiy, thou hast not brought
us (for all thy great boasts and fair promises) into a
land that iloweth with milk and honey, or given us in-
heritance of fields and vineyards. But when we were
come almost to it, and would have gone on to enter
into it, and possess it, thou hast turned us back into
this wilderness again, to repeat the fatigues, hard-
ships, and miseries we have passed through already :
■* And wilt thou put out the eyes of , these men ? Wilt
thou think to blind ^he people with fair words only,
and lead them on hood- winked ? We will not come up.'
These reproachful and undeserved taunts made
Moses very wroth : yet did he not return railing for
railing. But addressing himself to the Lord, l Re-
spect not thou their offering, said he : for, though they
reflect thus foully upon me, I have not taken so much
as an ass from them, neither have I hurt one of them.'
Then summoning Korah and all his companv, the
two hundred and fifty princes, to meet him and Aaron
before the Lord on the morrow, he bid them ' Take
every man his censer, and put incense in them, and
Aaron should bring his censer also, and appear all be-
fore the Lord.' They had the confidence so to do,
and bringing every man of them his censer, with fire
in it, and incense laid thereon, they boldly set them-
selves in the door of the tabernacle of the congrega-
tion with Moses and Aaron : and Korah^ so apt is the
multitude to be carried the wrong way, had gathered
ail the congregation to side with him against them.
But forthwith the glory pi the Lord appeared unto
3.11 the congregation, and the Lord soon took up the.
252 SACRED HISTORY. 2'ART I.
matter ; saying unto Moses and Aaron, c Separate
yourselves from among this congregation, that I may
consume them in a moment.' But they, good men,
falling prostrate before the Lord, said, 4 O God, thou
God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and
wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation ?' ' Speak
then, said the Lord, unto the congregation, and bid
them get them up from about the tabernacle of Korah,
Dathan, and Abiram. ?
Moses thereupon rising up, and the elders of Israel
(upon whom the Lord had put of his spirit, Numb. xi.
25) following him, he went unto Dathan and Abiram ;
and directing his speech to the congregation, said,
* Depart, I pray you from the tents of these wicked
men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed
with them in their sins.'
The people thus warned, drew off from the tents of
Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side. But
Dathan and Abiram came boldly out, and stood bray-
ing it in the door of their tents, with their wives9
their families, and their little children.
Then Moses, continuing his speech to the people,
said, ' Hereby ye shall know that the Lord hath sent
me to do all these works ; for I have not done them of
my own mind. If these men die the common death
of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation
of all men, then the Lord hath not sent me. But if
the Lord make a new thing, and the earth open her
mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain
unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then
ye shall understand that these men have provoked the
Lord.'
No sooner were the words out of his mouth, but the
ground that was under them clave asunder ; and the
earth opening her mouth, swallowed them up, and
their houses, or families, and all the men, the whole
faction, that belonged to Korah, except his sons, chap,
xxvi. ver. 11, and all their goods I they, and all that
belonged to them, went down alive into the pit ; and
the earth closing upon them, they perished from
among the congregation.
PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 253
The rest of the people, that stood round about them
looking on, amazed at the dismal sight, and affrighted
with the outcries and shrieks of those that sunk into
the gaping earth, fled away, for fear the earth should
have swallowed them up also.
Meanwhile, ' There came out a fire from the Lord,
and consumed the two hundred and fifty men,' that
joining with Korah in this rebellion, had offered in-
cense contrary to the lav/.
The censers on which they had offered, were order-
ed to be taken out of the burning, and preserved : but
not in the form of censers. For, as on the one hand,
they had been offered before the Lord, and thereby
obtained, at least in the opinion of the people, a sort
of consecration, the Lord, to keep up among that peo-
ple the reputation and estimation of things devoted,
would not have them put to base uses ; so, on the
other hand, to put a difference between his own insti-
tutions, and men's contrivances, especially the wicked
contrivances of wicked men, he would not suffer them,
to be employed to the same use, nor be continued in
the same form, which those men had put them to, and
used them in. But he appointed that all those brasen
censers should be wrought out into broad plates, or
rather, perhaps, into one broad plate, and so be laid
for a covering over the altar ; giving expressly this rea-
son for it, 4 That it might be for a sign and a memo-
rial unto the children of Israel, that no stranger, who
was not of the seed of Aaron, should adventure to
come near to offer incense before the Lord; lest he
speed as Korah and his company had sped.'
This exemplary punishment, so evidently inflicted
by a divine hand on these offenders, had been' enough,
one would have thought, to have kept the rest within
the bounds of due obedience ; but they, on the con-
trary, from hence took occasion to mutiny afresh.
For on the very morrow, all the congregation of the
children of Israel not only murmured against Moses
and Aaron ; but bandying together against them,
vol. i. x
254 SACRED HISTORY, PART I.
charged them that they had killed the people of the
Lord. And to what degree of violence they might
have proceeded, is doubtful, had they not, looking to-
ward the tabernacle of the congregation, seen the
cloud covering it, and the glory of the Lord appearing
there ; a sure token that the Lord had something to
say to them.
Moses thereupon hasting with Aaron to the taber-
nacle of the congregation, to wait the pleasure of the
Lord, the Lord said, ' Get ye up from among this
congregation, that I may consume them as in a mo-
ment.' They thereupon fell down, as they used to do,
to supplicate the Lord for the people ; but it would
not now do : for the Lord, provoked by their so fre-
quent rebellions, had already sent a plague among
them. Wherefore Moses bid Aaron take a censer,
and put fire therein from off the altar, and put incense
thereon, and go quickly unto the congregation, and
make an atonement for them: for, said he, 'There
is wrath gone out from the Lord : and the plague is
begun.'
Aaron therefore, as Moses had directed him, ran
into the midst of the congregation, with his censer and
holy fire ; and finding the plague was indeed begun
among the people, he put on incense, and made an
atonement for them, and setting himself between the
living and the. dead, the Lord was pleased to stop the
plague : but not until there had fallen by it fourteen
thousand and seven hundred persons, besides them
that died about the matter of Korah.
And now, since the office of the priesthood had prov-
ed such a bait to ambitious and aspiring minds, and
the striving for it had cost many so dear, the Lord, to
end all contests about it, and quash all false preten-
sions to it, resolved, by a convincing miracle, to con-
firm and establish it in the family wherein he had
placed it.
In order whereunto he directed Moses to take of
the prince or head of every tribe, a rod, or staff ; anc\
to write upon each rod the name of the prince, or head
PA.RT I. SACRED 1IIST0RV, 255
of that tribe to which that rod belonged : and on the
rod of Levi's tribe to' write Aaron's name ; and then
to lay up all these twelve rods in the tabernacle of the
congregation, before the ark of the testimony, where
the Lord should meet with them. And to let them
know that the Lord himself would determine the con-
troversy, and put an end to all their murmurings, by
causing the rod of that man to. blossom, whom he
should choose, Numb, xvii,
Moses, according to this direction, having,received
from the prince of each tribe a rod, with his name
written upon it, laid up all the rods together before
the Lord in the tabernacle of witness. And on the
morrow, when Moses went in, and brought forth all
the rods from before the Lord unto all the children of
Israel, and they took every man his rod, and looked on
it, 4 Behold, the rod of Aaron, for the house of Levi,
had sprouted and put forth buds, and brought forth
blossoms, and bare ripe almonds.'
This must needs be a wonderful and astonishing
thing in itself, that a dry stick should in one night's
time shoot forth, bud, blossom, and bear ripe fruits :
and a convincing token to them, that God had singled
out Aaron to the priestly office, that of all the twelve
sticks laid together, his stick only should produce this
wonder.
The matter being thus incontestably determined and
settled, the Lord bid Moses bring Aaron's rod back
again, and lay it up before the ark of the testimonv ;
to be kept for a token against the rebels, and that it
might quite take away their murmurings, and so pre-
vent their death. But as great tumults are not soon
settled, and high discontents are not quickly quieted,
so this people could not give over complaining. c Be-
hold, said they to Moses, we die, we perish, we all
perish.' Some fall by the sword, Numb, xiv ; ver. 45 ;
some are swallowed up by the earth, Numb, xvi, ver.
.32 ; some perish by fire, ver. 35 ; and some die of the
plague, ver. 49. ' Shall we, said they, be consumed
with dying ?' Thus they reckoned up their calamities,
256 SACRED HISTORY, ?ART I.
the punishments for their rebellions, but considered
not that they themselves brought them on themselves
by rebelling.
The eighteenth chapter of this book is spent in set-
ting forth the charge of the priests and the Levites
distinctly, with the distinct portions or provision of
maintenance for each. Wherein (not to descend to
all particulars) it is observable, that the priests, who
were anointed to that office, and unto whom the charge
of the tabernacle and sanctuary, with the vessels there-
of, and all the hallowed things, were committed, had
not the tithes given to them : for the tithes were given
to the Levites, who were employed in the laborious
part of the work about the tabernacle. -JBut the priests
had the offerings of the people, (the meat-offerings,
sin-offerings, trespass-offerings, heave-offerings, wave-
offerings, and first fruits) and the tithes of the tithes
which they were to receive from the Levites, who re-
ceived the tithes from the people, Numb, xviii. And
these tithes of tithes, which the priests were to receive
from the Levites were to be offered, by the Levites,
an heave-offering to the Lord ; as the tithes them-
selves, which were given to the Levites, were offered
an heave-offering to the Lord before. So that all the
tithes, as well those from the people to the Levites, as
those out of them, from the Levites to the priests,
were, by this ceremony of heaving, rendered as com-
pletely a part of the ceremonial law, as the rest of the
offerings under that dispensation were.
The nineteenth chapter treateth of legal pollutions
and uncleannesses, and of the water of separation or
purification, by which such were to be cleansed ; di-
recting how it should be both made and used : which
water was a lively and significant type of the blood of
Christ ; who, being himself perfectly clean, by sprink-
ling cleanseth the unclean; not notionally, but really,
and in very deed, Numb. xix. ■
By the interposition of these other matters, contain-
ed in these two chapters, we miss the account how the
children of Israel came to Kadesh again, in the wtfj
PART I.
SACRED HISTORY. 257
derness of Zin ; where we find them, in Numb. xx.
Only Moses briefly reciting fome of their frauds, in
Deut. ii, tells us, that after they had been beaten by
the Amalekites and Amorites, for which compare
Deut. i. 44, with Numb. xiv. 45, c they turned and
took their journey into the wilderness, by the way of
the Red Sea, as God had commanded, Numb. xiv.
25, and compassed Mount Seir many days' (which
Tremellius and the Bishop's Bible, in their notes, ac-
count to be eight and thirty years) : till at length the
Lord said, 4 Ye have compassed this mountain long
enough : turn ye northwards.' Deut. ii, ver. 3.
Being come to Kadesh, while the people abode there,
Miriam, who' was sister to Aaron and Moses, and
elder than either, died, and was buried there,*
Numb. xx.
Here again the people, impatient of any inconven-
ience, brake out for want of water. And gathering
themselves together against Moses and Aaron, they
quarrelled with them, saying, ' Why have ye brought
up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness,
that we and our cattle should die there ? And where-
fore have ye made us come up out of Egypt, to bring
us into this evil place ; where are neither seed, nor
figs, nor vines, nor pomegranates, nor so much as
water to drink ? Would God that we had died when
our brethren died before the Lord.'
Moses and Aaron, thus hard beset, betake them-
selves to the Lord for help. And the Lord command-
ed Moses to take the rod, and that he and his brother
Aaron should gather the assembly together ; and then
* Speak ye, said the Lord, to the rock, in their sight,
and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring
forth to them water out of the rock.'
Moses hereupon taking the rod from before the
Lord, Went, and with Aaron's assistance gathered
the congregation together before the rock. But when
he was come thither, deviating from his instructions,
* A. M. 2553.
x 2
25S SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
though seemingly but a little, he committed his great-
est miscarriage.
For first, whereas he was bid to speak to the rock
before the people, he, instead of doing so, spake to
the people before the rock. And in what he said to
them he discovered impatience and heat of spirit, say-
ing, fc Hear now, ye rebels ; must we fetch you water
out of this rock V
Secondly he was not bid to strike the rock, but to
speak to it. He, instead of speaking to it, smote the
rock ; and that twice : which shewed an angry dis-
turbed mind.
If it. should be asked, to what end he was com-
manded to take the rod, if it was not intended he
should smite the rock with it ? the answer is, per-
haps it might be that the people, at sight of that rod,
by which they had seen so many miracles wrought, if
it was that rod by which Moses divided the Red Sea
(as some think it was) ; or that by which they had
been so lately reclaimed from a former rebellion, and
which yet bore a miracle upon it, if it was that rod
that budded and bore almonds (which others think it
was) ; might see their error, repent, and confess that
nothing was too hard for their God.
If it be alledged on Moses' behalf, that when he
was sent to the rock before, Exod. xvii. 5, 6, he was
bid to take his rod in his hand, and to smite the rock,
that the water might come forth ; and that from thence
he might gather he was now also to smite the rock
with his rod ; the answer is, as there he exactly fol-
lowed his instructions, so he should have done here.
He smote the rock then, because he was bidden : but
he did not speak to it then, because he was not bid-
den. So he should now have spoken to it, because
he was bidden ; and not have smitten it, because he
was not bidden. For God is an absolute sovereign,
and expects an absolute and exact obedience to his
absolute commands. Nor will he allow even Moses
to vary his command, or mix his own conceptions
with it unpunished. And therefore, though he would
PART I, SACRED HISTORY. 259
not lose the honour of his miracle for his sen-ant's
fault, but caused the ' water to come abundantly out
of the rock, for the congregation to drink, and the
cattle also;' yet he denounced to Moses and Aaron
(who was in transgression with him) their doom, in
these words ; c Because ye believed me not, to sanctify
me in the sight of the children of Israel, therefore ye
shall not bring this congregation into the land which
I have given them.'
While yet the Israelitish camp was at Kadesh, Mo-
ses sent an embassy to the king of Edom, whose bor-
ders they were now upon, to inform him of the tra-
vels and labour of the children of Israel (his brethren
by the same father and morther, Isaac and Rebekah) ;
and to intreat passage though his country ; giving him
assurance that they would not commit any act of hos-
tility, nor trespass in the fields or vineyards, nor so
much as drink of his water, without paying for it, but
only travel on the king's highway. But the king of
Edom utterly refused it, and drew out his forces to
impede their passage, and defend his frontiers. Israel
therefore, being forbidden by God to fight with them,
Deut. ii. 5, turned another way ; and marching from
Kadesh, came to Mount Hor.
It was now the beginning of the fifth month, in the
fortieth year of their travels from Egypt, Numb xxxiii.
38 ; and the time drew near for their entering the good
land, into which the Lord had told Aaron he should
not enter, because of his transgression at Meribah
(so was the place called where Moses smote the rock,
Numb. xx. 13). Wherefore being now come to
Mount Hor, the Lord gave Aaron notice of his ap-
proaching death ; and commanded Moses to take
Aaron and Eleazar his son, who was to succeed him
in the office of high-priest, and bringing them up to
Mount Hor, there to strip Aaron of his priestly gar-
ments, and put them upon Eleazar his son. Which
when Moses had done, in the sight of all the congre-
gation, Aaron died there, in the top of Mount Hor,
being an hundred twenty and three years old, Numb.
260 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
xxxiii. 39. And when the congregation saw that
Aaron was dead, all the house of Israel mourned for
him thirty days.*
Israel being now come to the border of Canaan,
Arad, a king of the Canaanites, who dwelt in the
south, hearing which way they came, went out and
fought them, and took some of them prisoners. Israel
thereupon made a vow to the Lord, saying, ' If thou
wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I
will utterly destroy their cities.' And the Lord de-
livering up the Canaanites to them, they did utterly
destroy both them and their cities ; and called the
name of the place where the battle was fought Hor-
mah, which signifies utter destruction. This seems
to be the same place to which the Amalekites had
chased and beaten Israel about eight and thirty years
before, Numb. xiv. 45.
This victory obtained, the camp was obliged to dis-
lodge from Mount Hor, and take their march by the
way of the Red Sea, to compass the land of Edom ;
through which they had been denied passage, Numb.
xx. 18, 21 ; and forbidden to force their way, Deut. ii,
ver. 5 ; and because the way was long, the passages
-uneasy, and the country barren, the people being
straitened in their minds, and under great discourage-
ments, let up the murmuring spirit again, and spake
against God directly, as well as against Moses :
' Wherefore, said they, have ye brought us up out of
Egypt, to die in the wilderness ? (This was their con-
stant complaint.) For here is neither meet nor drink
to be had, cried they ; and our soul loatheth (our sto-
machs turn against) this contemptible bread :' mean-
ing the manna which God had given them ready pre-
pared for their mouths.
To punish therefore this bold impiety, the Lord sent
fiery serpents amongst them, which bit them, so that
many of the people died thereupon. This made the
rest humble themselves, saying to Moses, 'We have
sinned : for we have spoken against the Lord, and
• A. M. 2555.
PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 251
against thee. Pray now the Lord, that he take away
the serpents from us,' Numb. xxi.
Here I cannot but observe how like this people
were to Pharaoh, rebelling and relenting ; rebelling
again, and relenting again, according as judgments
were laid on them, as if they had learned of him.
However Moses, at their request, prayed unto the
Lord for them. But the Lord did not immediately
take away the serpents; but leaving them to be a
scourge to the people, to make them more sensible of
their transgression, provided a remedy to prevent
their death, and heal their hurts. For he ordered
Moses to make a serpent of a fiery colour, and set it
up for a sign, or ensign, that the people who were bit-
ten by the fiery serpents, might, by looking up to this
serpent, be recovered. Moses thereupon made the
form of a serpent in brass, and set it up as a banner ;
and it came to pass, that when afterwards a serpent bit
any man, if he looked upon that brasen serpent lie
lived, that is, he was healed.
This brasen serpent, a significant type of our Lord
Jesus Christ, who being lifted up as an ensign for the
nations, Isai. xi. 12, gives life and salvation to all
them that" in true faith look up unto him, remained
among the Jews above seven hundred years, to the
time of Hezekiah, king of Judah ; who in an holy
seal, pursuant to God's command, Exod. xxii. 24,
Deut. vii. 5 ; removing the high places, breaking the
images, and cutting down the groves, brake also in
pieces this brasen serpent among the rest (though Mo-
ses, by the express command of God, had made it,
and it was a piece of so great antiquity) because he
found +he people had for a long time committed idol-
atry, in burning incense to it. And to put contempt
upon it, he called it Nehushtan, a piece of brass o
2 Kings xviii, ver. 4.
After that the children of Israel, by several re-
moves in their journies, were come to :he top of Pis-
gah, the hill which looketh towards Jeshimon, the
valderness, they sent ambassadors to Sihon, king of
262 -, SACRED HISTORY. PA.RT U
the Amorites, to desire passage through this land,
promising not to break into the fields or vineyards,
nor to drink of the waters, a scarce commodity in
those hot countries : but only to go along by the king's
highway, till they should be past his borders.
The Amorite king, not thinking it safe to receive
such a numerous host of unsettled people into the
heart of his kingdom, gave them an absolute denial
of passage. And holding it better policy to assault
than be assaulted, gathered all his people together,
and marching out into the wilderness against Israel,
gave them battle at Jahaz ; which signifies strife.
But Israel smote him with the edge of the sword,
and gave the Amorites such a total defeat, that they
possessed their land from one end to the other ; and
taking their cities and villages, dwelt in Moab. And
because Israel was not suffered to fight against Moab,
Deut. ii. 9, this Amorite king had before fought
with the king of Moab, and taken Heshbon, and the
o^her places from him, which now by this conquest
fell to Israel.
Israel being thus possessed of the land of the Amo-
rites, and dwelling in it, Moses sent some to spy out
Jazzar, a city where dwelt another party of the Amo-
rites ; and they "took the villages thereof, and drove
out the Amorites that were there.
Then turning, they went by the way of Bashan,
where reigned king Og, another Amorite king, and
the last of the race of the giants there ; whose stature
may be guessed at by the size of his bed, which, be-
ing made of iron for strength, was nine cubits in
length, and four cubits in breadth, after the cubits of
a man ; which being the common cubit, containing
half a yard, or one foot and a half 'English measure,
if reduced to yards or feet, will yield four yards and
a half, or thirteen feet and a half, for the length, and
two yards, or rat feet, for the breadth of the bed.
This monster of a king came forth against Israel,
he and all his people, to the battle of Edrei ; a fit place
for him to exercise his arms, and shew his prowess in ;
PART I. SAC2.ED HISTORY. 263
for it signifies, the heap of strength or might. But
lest the Israelites should be dismayed at the sight of
such a champion, the Lord prepared them, by bidding
Moses fear him not, saying, 4 For I have delivered
him into thy hand, and all his people and his land ;
and thou shalt do to him as thou didst to Sihon king
of the Amorites.'
Israel, thus encouraged, joined the battle, and slew
king Og, and his sons, and all his people, till there was
none left alive. They took also all his cities, three-
score in number, all fenced with high walls, gates and
bars ; besides unwalled towns a great many ; destroy-
ing utterly the inhabitants, both men, women and
children ; but keeping all the cattle and the spoil of
the cities for a prey to themselves, as they had done
before in the case of Sihon, the other Amorite king,
Deut. iii. 4, 5, 6, 7 ; and as they were commanded,
Deut. xx, where the fecial laws, or laws of war and
heraldry, are set down. By which laws they were
required, upon their approach to any city that was at
a distance from them, to offer peace in the first place ;
which if the inhabitants accepted, and surrendered to
them, they should only make them tributaries. But
if they refused peace, and put them to besiege and
storm the place, they should, when they had taken it,
put all the men to the sword : but might keep the
women and little ones, with the cattle and other spoil
for themselves.
Thus for the cities of the remoter countries : but
the cities of those neighbouring people, which the Lord
had given them for an inheritance, as particularly
and by name, the Hittites and Amorites, the Canaan-
ites and Perizzites, the Hivites and Jebusites, they
were to save none alive ; but utterly to destroy all,
both men, women and children.
Now as this execution was a type of the spiritual
warfare against the soul's enemies, of which none old
or young, great or small, are to be spared, or saved
alive ; so the political reason of this martial severity
is giyen in the next verse, * That they teach you net
264 SACRED 1TIST0RY, FART I.
to do after their abominations, which they have done
unto their gods : so should ye sin against the Lord
3^our God.' So that it seems to have been a kind of
.5-1? defendendo, a destroying them, lest they should
tempt and draw you to do that which would provoke
the Lord to destroy you,
Flushed with these victories, the children of Israel
now set forward, and pitched on the plains of Moab,
on this side Jordan by Jericho.
This put Balak king of Moab into a great fright :
for he had seen (that is, he had understood) how Israel
had dealt with his neighbours the Amorites. And the
people, as well as their king, seeing so great a host
lying before them in their neighbouring plains, were
sore afraid, and even distresed in their minds, because
of the children of Israel. Whereas hag! they known
the protection they were under, they needed not have
been afraid : for they, if they would have been quiet,
were particularly exempted from Israelis sword, Deut,
11, 9.
But Balak not knowing that, but knowing himself
too weak in forces to cope with Israel in battle, called
the elders of Midian to council, who either lived
amongst the Moabites, or were their near neighbours
and allies. And having proposed to them the common
danger, and advised together about it, the result of
their consultation was, that king Balak should send
messengers to Balaam the son of Beor, who lived at
Pethor, a city in Mesopotamia, Deut. xxiii. 4, to in-
vite and hire him to come and curse the people of Is-
rael.
This Balaam was in so great reputation among those
idolatrous people, that they really thought (or to gra-
tifv his ambition and draw him the more readily to
come, pretended that they thought) every one blessed,
whom he blessed ; and cursed, whom he cursed.
Having deputed therefore a select number of the
elders or princes of each people, Moabites and Mi-
dianites, joined in an embassy together, the king
them to him, v/ith the rewards of divination in their
PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 265
hands. For they well knew he was covetous, and ex-
tremely greedv of gain. And indeed that was the bait
that caught him : 4 He loved the wages of unrighteous-
ness,' 2 Pet. ii. 15. Yet when they came to him, and
had delivered their message from the king, he pretend-
ed so much regard to the Lord, that he would not
give them an answer, till he had consulted him.
To try how Balaam would represent the matter,
God asked him, ' What men those were that were
with him. They are some, said he, whom the king
of Moab hath sent, to let me know that there is a peo-
ple come out of Egypt, which covereth the face of the
earth ; and to desire me to come to him, and curse
them, in hopes that then he may be able to overcome
them, and drive them away. But, said God to him,
thou shalt not go with them ; thou shalt not curse that
people : for they are blessed,' Numb. xxii.
Balaam, well knowing how unsafe it would be for
him to go against the command of the Lord, got up in
the morning, and dismissed the princes of Balak? say-
ing, 4 Get ye into your own land : for the Lord re-
fuseth to give me leave to go with you.' This shews
he asked leave, and would have gone. The princes
returning to their king, misreport to him Balaam's
answer : for instead of telling him that God refused
to let him come, they tell him, that Balaam refused to
come.
Balak, from this answer, might probably think, that
either the number and quality of his messengers did
not answer Balaam's ambition ; or the value of re-
wards, his covetousness. For he forthwith sent to
him again more princes, and those too more honour-
able than the former; and with proposals of higher
terms. ■ Let nothing, I pray thee, (said he by his am-
bassadors) hinder thee from coming to me : for I will
promote thee unto very great honour ; and I will do
whatsoever thou sayest to me (or I will give thee
whatsoever thou wilt ask). Come therefore, I pray
thee, curse me this people.'
VOL. i. Y
2oo SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
Balaam's answer shews the temper of his mind, and
what he would have been at. He did not say, I dis-
like the work ; and therefore have no mind to go with
you. But he tells them, ' If Balak will give me his
house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the
word of the Lord my God.' The word of the Lord
to him was expressly, ' Thou shalt not go ; thou shalt
not curse the people.' God had laid a restraint upon
him that he could not go ; though he fain would.
Yet so greedy was he of the promised reward, that
he would try if he could prevail with God to break his
wrord,'to alter his command, and let him go. There-
fore he fawns upon the messengers, and prays them to
tarry with him that night also, that he might know
what the Lord would say unto him more. This was
tempting God : who therefore in displeasure left him
to follow his own will. So to do, hath not been unusual
with God, when provoked by disobedience.
Thus he dealt with the Israelites afterwards, when
they, rejecting his government, would needs have a
king, that they might be like other nations, 1 Sam,
viii. 7. He answered their desire, and gave them a
king, but he did it in his anger, Hosea xiii. 11. And
at other times, when they would not hearken to him,
he gave them up unto their own hearts' lusts, and let
them walk in their own counsels, Psalm lxxxi. 11, 12.
Thus he dealt with Balaam here. He had told him
his mind plainly and fully : Balaam would not take it
for an answer, but would try him again. Provoked
thereby, God tells him, ' If the men come to call thee,
rise up, and go with them.' This I take to be not a
command, but a permission. As if he had said, See-
ing thou art so eager to go, though thou knowest it is
against my mind, take thy own course : go, if thou
wilt. But yet thou shalt not obtain thine end : l For
the word which I spake unto thee, that shalt thou do,'
though against thine own will.
That this suffering him to go was in displeasure to
him, appears from God's anger being kindled against
him for going, and sending his angel to stop him on the
PART I.. SACRED HISTORY. 26?
way : for upon this concession, up got Balaam in the
morning, and away he went with the princes of Moab,
having his two servants to wait on him; probably,
both for the greater state, and to bring back the trea-
sure he hoped to receive. But God's anger was kind-
led because he went, and the angel of the Lord stood
in the way, for an adversary against him* Whence,
besides the plain proof that Balaam went but by per-
mission, and that the permission was granted in dis-
pleasure to him, this useful observation arises, viz.
' That whosoever goeth to curse whom God hath bles-
sed, shall be sure to have God an adversary in his
way.'
4 The angel of the Lord stood in the way with his
drawn sword in his hand ;* yet so blind was Balaam,
that he 6aw him not, though the silly ass could both
see and shun him : tor the ass turning out of the way,
carried him into a field ; for which he smote her, to
bring her into the way again ; and when the angel, re-
moving forward, stood in a path that had a wall on
each side, the ass, to shun the angel, thrusting close
up to the wall, crushed Balaam's foot against it : for
which he smote her again. But when the angel, go-
ing farther, stood in a narrow place, where there was
no way to turn, either to the one hand or the other, the
ass, rather than expose her master to the angel's sword,
fell down under him : and then he smote her with his
staff. So eager is man, blinded with the desire of
riches, honours, pleasures, &c. to rush on to his own
destruction.
Now the Lord, to rebuke the iniquity, and forbid
the madness of the prophet, opened the mouth of the
ass, enabling her to speak with man's voice. Which
strange and unnatural thing, enough of itself, one
would think, to have amazed another man (and him
too, if he had not been intent and wholly taken up in
contriving how to make earnings of his journey) he
took no notice "of ; but held a dialogue' with the ass,
till the Lord was pleased to rouse him, by opening his
eyes, and letting him see the angel standing in his way,
268 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
with his sword drawn in his hand ; at the sight of
which he bowed himself down, and fell flat on his face :
for instant danger will make the most wicked men how.
Then, upon the angel's expostulating with him, tell-
ing him his way (that is, his purpose, or the under-
taking he went upon) was perverse before the Lord
(for he had a mind to do that which the Lord had for-
bidden him) ; that therefore he was come out to with-
stand him, and had slain him, but for his ass, which
he had so ungratefully beaten : Balaam confessed he
had sinned, and faintly offered to go back, if his jour-
ney displeased the Lord. But it appears that this was
but a copy of his countenance, by his laying it upon
an if 4 If my going displease thee, I will get me
back again.' He needed not have made an if of it:
for he knew well enough, that from the first it dis-
pleased the Lord, and that at the first he had posi-
tively forbidden him to go.
But now that he was gone so far, the Lord would
not send him back ; but resolving to turn his evil pur-
pose to a good end for his people, by making him,
who was hired to curse, pronounce a blessing on them,
having given him this cautionary correction by the
way, he suffered him to go on, but with this charge,
4 Only the word that I shall speak unto thee, shalt thou
speak.' And so on went Balaam with the princes of
Balak.
Now when Balak understood that Balaam was com-
ing, that he might engage him the more by personal
respects, he went out in person to meet him, to the
utmost coast of his country. And when he had, after
their first salutation, gently blamed him for not com-
ing to him at the first sending, who was so able to
promote him to honour ; and Balaam, in excuse, had
let him know what a restraint the Lord had laid upon
him : he treated him, with the princes, at a solemn
feast that day ; and the next day brought him up
into the high places of Baal, that thence he might
see the utmost part of the people, in order to curse
them.
JrART I. SACRED HISTORY. 269
How oft, since that, have the successors of Balaam,
out of love to the wages of ungrighteousness, endea-
voured to curse the Israel of God, from the high places
of Ball !
Balaam thus got into the high places of Ball, directs
Balak to cause seven altars to be built for him there ;
and seven oxen, with seven rams, to be prepared.
Which when Balak had done, they together offered a
builock and a ram upon each altar. Then leaving
Balak to stand by his burnt offering, Balaam went
aside, to see if the Lord would meet him ; and the
Lord did meet him, and put a word in his mouth,
charging him what he should say.
Returning therefore to Balak, whom he found stand-
ing by his burnt sacrifice, and all the princes of Moab
with him, Balaam took up his parable, and said, ' Ba-
lak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram (or
Syria) out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come,
curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel. But how shall
I curse whom God hath not cursed ■? Or how shall I
defy whom the Lord hath not defied? For from the
top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I be-
hold him. Lo, the people shall dwell alone (they
shall be separated to God, and distinguished from all
other people, in religion, laws and course of life ; a
true figure of the spiritual Israel) : they shall not he
reckoned among the nations,' Numb, xxiii.
Then to set forth the prosperity and increase of Is-
rael, he brake forth into admiratiion thus ; * Who can
count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth
part of Israel !'
And to shew how happy and blessed they should be,
4 Let me die, said he, the death of the righteous ; and
let my last end be like his.'
How great a disappointment this was to Balak, may
be gathered from his answer to Balaam. 4 What hast
thou done unto me ? said he : I took thee to curse mine
enemies, and behold, thou hast blessed them altoge-
ther.'
y 2
270 SACRED HISTORY. TART I.
Balaam excused himself by the necessity he was
under, to speak that which the Lord had put in his
mouth. As much as to say, Indeed, I could not help
it ; *• I would have cursed them if I could :' but I
could not ; I had not power to speak what I would,
for my mouth was filled and directed by the Lord.
And indeed, if we consider what Moses told the
Israelites, Deut. xxiii. 5, c Nevertheless, the Lord
thy God would not hearken unto Balaam : but turned
the curse into a blessing to thee :' we may well con-
clude, that Balaam did earnestly labour with God> by
persuasion or intreaty, to have had liberty to have
cursed Israel.
Balak hoping that what he had missed of in one
place, he might find in another, brought Balaam into
the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, to see if he
could curse them from thence. And Balaam, as will-
ing to please him, had seven altars built there, and a
bullock with a ram offered on each. Then going
aside, as before, to meet the Lord, he had a word put
in his mouth again by the Lord, with a charge what
he should say.
By this time Balak began to understand that the
Lord was to be consulted in the case. Wherefore,
when Balaam returned to him, as he, with the princes
of Moab, big with expectation, stood by his burnt
offering, he asked him, ' What hath the Lord spoken V
Whereupon Balaam, to bespeak the greater attention
and regard to what he should say, began thus :
1 Rise up, Balak, and hear ; hearken unto me, thou
son of Zippor. God (who hath already blessed Israel,
and forbidden me to curse them) is not a man, that
he should lie ; neither the son of man, that he should
repent. Hath he said, and shall he not do it ? Or hath
he spoken, and shall he not make it good ? Behold, I
have received commandment to bless : for he hath
jt^iessed, and I cannot reverse it. He hath not beheld
iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness
in Israel. The Lord his God is with him, and the
shcut of a king is in him. (So Hierom, Arias Mon-
PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 271
tanus, and Tremellius and Junius turn it.) God
brought them out of Egypt: he hath, as it were, the
strength of an unicorn. (So that it is in vain to at-
tempt any thing by force against them ; and to as little
purpose to use facinations or enchantments : for)
Surely no enchantment can prevail against Jacob; nor
any divination against Israel. So that, according to
this time, it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel,
What hath God wrought V (who hath both set a de-
fence about Israel, that neither force nor fraud can
reach them j and hath turned the intended curse into
a blessing.) Then prophesying of the future strength,
victories, and success of Israel, he added, 'The peo-
ple shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as
a young lion : he shall not lie down until he eat of the
prey, and drink the blood of the slain.'
This to Balak was worse than ,if Balaam had said
nothing : therefore he bid him, 4 Neither curse them
at all, nor bless them at all.' But he held not long in
that mind : for though he had rather Israel should
escape a cursing, than receive a blessing ; yet his
eagerness to have them cursed, made him willing to
try once more.
4 Come, I pray thee, said he to Balaam, and I will
bring thee unto another place: peradventure it will
please God that thou mayest curse me them from
thence.' That said, away he leads him to the top of
Peor, a hill that looked towards Jeshimon, or the wil-
derness. And though Balaam had but just before
declared, that God was not a man to lie or repent, yet
desirous of getting the reward, he fell in with wicked
Balak, to tempt God anew; causing seven altars to be
built there also, and offered a bullock with a ram on
each. And God, who brings good out of evil, suffered
him thus to run on, that he might thence take occasion
to multiply his blessings upon his Israel.
But Balaam, having tried in vain all his magical
tricks, and now seeing that it pleased the Lord to
bless Israel, went not, as at other times under pretence
of meeting die Lord, to seek for enchantments, bat
272 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
set his face directly towards the wilderness, in which
Israel lay encamped. And when, lifting up his eyes,
he saw them abiding in that excellent order, wherein
they were disposed, chap, ii, according to their tribes,
the spirit of God came upon him.
Before, while he sought to work by enchantments,
he had only a word put in his mouth ; but now having
laid aside his enchantments, the spirit of God came
upon him. Whereby his eyes, which before were
shut, being now somewhat opened, he cried out, c How
goodly are thy tents, O Jacob ; and thy tabernacles,
O Israel,' Numb. xxiv.
Then by significant metaphors, setting forth the ex-
tent, fertility, sweet savour, and stately strength of
Israel, he says, ' As the vallies are they spread forth j
as gardens by the river's side ; as the trees of lign-
aloes, which the Lord hath planted ; and as cedar
trees beside the waters. He shall pour the water out
of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters.
His king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom
shall be exalted.' For Agag was a common appella-
tive for the kings of Amalek, as Pharaoh was for the
kings of Egypt; and Amalek being then the most
flourishing kingdom, was pitched on for the compari-
son.
Then going on he adds, ' God brought him (Israel)
out of Egypt ; he hath as it were the strength of an
unicorn : he shall eat up the nations, his enemies, and
shall break their bones, and pierce them through with
his arrows. He couched ; he lay down as a lion, and as
a great lion. Who shall stir him up ? Blessed is he
that blesseth thee (heartily, and with a good will ; not
as Balaam did against his will) : and cursed is he
that curseth thee.'
These words kindled Balak's anger against Balaam
to that height, that smiting his hands together (a token
of great displeasure) and upbraiding Balaam with
having deceived him, in blessing those whom he was
sent for to curse, he bid him haste and be go'ne : for I
thought, said he, to have promoted thee to great hon-
PART I. SACRED HISTORY". 273
our, if thou had answered my design in cursing
Israel ; but the Lord hath kept thee back from honour.
Balaam had recourse to his old excuse, that he could
not help it, being over-ruled by the Lord, and made
to speak what he put into his mouth. But that he
might not go away without gratifying Balak in some
sort, and perhaps that he might entitle himself to some
gratuity from him, he offered to advertise or inform
him, now at parting, what this people should do to
his people in the latter days, or time to come. Which
having done, from ver. 15, to the end of this chapter,
he then also, as may well be supposed, taught Balak
how to betray Israel, and draw them into fornication
and idolatry ; which soon after followed, and which
Moses, in chap. xxxi. 16, doth plainly refer to the
counsel of Balaam.
For the very next account we have of Israel is, that
they abode in Shittim ; which signifies, turning aside ;
and they turned aside indeed, so far as to commit
whoredom with the daughters of Moab or Midian.
Now these daughters of Moab and Midian, or both
(for as they lived promiscuously, so it is evident from
chap. xxxi. 15, there were of both people concerned
in this treacherous plot against Israel) allured the
people to partake with them of the sacrifices of their
gods ; and, ' the people did eat and bowed down to
their gods.' So that Israel joined herself to Baal-peor
(supposed to be the beastly Priapus, or letcherous
god) for which the anger of the Lord was kindled
agianst Israel, Numb. xxv.
Whence we may observe, that to partake of the sac-
rifices or peculiar performances, of those who are not
God's peculiar people, though they be such as sprang
from a righteous stock , as Moab from Lot, and Mi-
dian from Abraham ; and to bow down, in such per-
formances, with them, is to join the object of their
adoration, whatever it be.
How great this offence was, in the sight of God,
may be seCn in the punishment inflicted for it. For
hereupon the Lord commanded Moses to take all the
S74 SACKED HISTORY. TART I.
heads of the people (understand it of those heads only,
and of that part of the people that had joined them-
selves to Baal-peor) and hang them up before the
Lord, against the sun (that is, openly, in the sight of
all) that the fierce anger of the Lord might be turned
away from Israel.
Moses therefore gave charge unto the judges of
Israel, those whom by the advice of his father-in-law
Jethro, with God's approbation, he had set over the
people, Exod. xviii, to see execution done, every one
on the men under his charge that were joined unto
Baal-peor. Whereupon a thousand of the princes,
or heads of the people, are supposed to have been thus
executed. But the matter stopped not there.
For a bold young man, whose name was Zimri (pro-
bably a jolly blade, for his name signifies singing) the
son of Saiu (which signifies exultation, or treading
underfoot) a prince of a chief house among the Sime-
onites, took CoSbi (which signifies a liar) the daugh-
ter of Zur (which signifies strong) who also was a
prince in the chief house of Midian ; and daringly
brought her unto his brethren, in contempt of Moses,
and in the sight of all the congregation of the chil-
dren of Israel, who, because of the fresh execution
dene upon their princes, stood weeping before the
door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and lead-
ing her openly into his tent, there lay with her !
Which daring act, and open violation of God's law,
when Phineas, Aaron's grandson, saw, and that none
of the judges took cognizance of it; he rose up from
amongst the congregation, and filled with a divine
zeal, taking a javelin in his hand, he followed them
into the tent : and taking them in the very act of whore-
dome, thurst them both through.
This zealous act of Phineas, put a stop to the plague,
which for this audacious act of Zimri's, and the other
whoredoms of his cOmrads, the Lord had sent among
the people. Yet there died on this occasion no less
than four and twenty thousand. In which number, it
is probable, Moses does include the thousand princes
PART I. SACRED HISTORY. 275
that were hanged for it. Which computation recon-
ciles this place to that of the apostle, 1 Cor. x. 8 ;
where he mentions but three and twenty thousand.
So acceptable was this service of Phineas to the
Lord, that the Lord not only commended him highly
for it, saying, c Phineas hath turned my wrath away
from the children of Israel (while he was zealous for
my sake among them) that I consumed not the chil-
dren of Israel in my jealousy ;' but also rewarded him
with his covenant of peace, in the enjoyment of the
priesthood, saying, ' Behold I give unto him my cove-
nant of peace, and he shall have it, and his seed after
him ; even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood,
because he was zealous for his God, and made an
atonement for the children of Israel.'
This rebellion thus suppressed, the offenders punish-
ed, and Phineas for his godly zeal rewarded ; the next
thing was to take vengeance on the Midianites, under
which name I take the Moabites also in this case to
be comprehended, for their having betrayed Israel in-
to this snare and mischief. In order whereunto, the
Lord gave Moses order to vex the Midianites, and
smite them : ' For they, said he, vex you with their
wiles wherewith they have beguiled you, in the mat-
ter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi.' The mat-
ter of Peor was their idolatry, in eating of their sacri-
fices and bowing down to their gods : the matter of
Cozbi was their whoredoms, chap. xxv. I ; but this
order being general and preparatory, was repealed
more fully and particularly afterwards, chap. xxxi.
In the mean time, the Lord commanded that now,
after this plague, the people, that is, the males, should
be numbered again: wherein the same method is ap-
pointed to be taken, that was used in the former
numbering, chap. i. For the other tribes, being num-
bered with respect to war, and to their possessing the
land, were numbered from twenty years old. But the
Levites being exempted from war, and excluded
from possesions, were numbered from a month old,
Numb. xxvi.
276 SACRED HISTORY. PART I.
The account thereof is set down at large in chap.
xxvi. And thereby it appears, that of all that were
first numbered by Moses and Aaron, in the wilderness
<ji Sinai, chap, i, there was not then a man left alive,
besides Moses, excepting only Caleb and Joshua.- So
that in less than forty years, no less than six hundred
three thousand five hundred and fifty grown men, for
so many were numbered, chap, i, besides the tribe of
Levi, died in the wilderness, three only excepted..,.
And yet now, at the second numbering, there was
found six hundred one thousand seven hundred and
thirty men, of twenty years old and upwards ; besides
the Levites.
After an enumeration of divers laws and ordinances
made and promulgated ; some more general, as re-
lating to the daily burnt offerings, and other offerings
upon particular festivals \ some more particular, as
private vows, and the settling of inheritances in the
female line, in defect of the issue male ; Midian came
again in remembrance before the Lord, and he renew-
ed the command he had given before to Moses, say-
ing, 4 Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites :
and afterwards thou shalt be gathered to thy people.'
Numb, xxvii, xxviii, xxix, xxxi.
Moses thereupon gave order that a detachment of
twelve thousand select men, one thousand out of every
tribe, should go against the Midianites, to avenge the
Lord upon Midian : and zealous Phineas went along
with them, having the charge of the holy instruments.
This was a very little host to invade a great and
potent people : but the Lord, who sent them, went
with them ; to whom to prevail by many or by few, is
alike. They were sent to avenge the Lord, and Is-
rael, on the Midianites ; and they did it 4with a ven-
geance : for they slew five kings, or dukes, Josh xiii.
21, and all the men ; and among the rest the evil pro*
phet Balaam ; who being on his way homewards, but
not, it seems, gotten out of their reach, was found
among the Midianites, and fell by Israel's sword.
They burned also all their cities and goodly castles ;
?ART II. SACRED HISTORY. 289
bid her be sure to tie a scarlet thread or line in the
window, through which she had let them down, and
bring her father, mother, brethren, and all her father's
houshold home unto her, and let them be careful to
keep within doors, when the Israelitish army should
enter the town. For if the line were not in the win-
dow, for them to know the house by, or if any of the
family should be found abroad in the street, his blood,
if he were slain, should be upon his own head ; and
they would be guiltless. But if any should be slain
that was in the house with her, his blood should be on
their head : always provided, that she did not discover
their enterprize. When they had spoken, she said,
Amen to the terms ; and sent them away : and they
escaping into the mountain, tarried there three days,
till the pursuers, who had sought them throughout all
the way, not finding them, were returned. And then
these two men also, descending from the mountain,
passed over Jordan ; and returning to Joshua, told
him what had befallen them, and how narrowjy they
had escaped. Adding withall, ' Truly the Lord hath
delivered into our hands all the land : for even all the
inhabitants of the country do faint because of us.'
This so good and cheering news made Joshua has-
ten. Wherefore having put the Reubenites, Gadites,
and half tribe of Manasseh, in mind of the compact
made between Moses and them, that they, leaving
their wives, children and cattle on this side Jordan,
should go over armed (to wit, the prime of their men
of war) before their brethren, to help to subdue their
enemies, and place them in their possessions ; which
they acknowledging themselves bound to do, declared
their readiness to go ; with a resolution to be subject
to him, their general, as they had been to Moses ;
promising in all things to obey his commands, under
the penalty of martial discipline ; and therefore en-
couraged him to be strong and courageous. As soon
as the three days were past, which he had allowed the
army to prepare their necessaries, the officers going
vol. i. 2 a
290 SACRED HISTORY. PART II.
through the host, commanded the people, that when
they should see the ark of the covenant of the Lord their
God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then they
should remove from their place and go after it ; that
they might know the way by which they were to go,
because they had never passed that way before. And
that a due and decent order might be observed in their
march, direction was given that they should leave a
space of about two thousand cubits, commonly taken
for a mile, between the ark and them, Josh. iii.
Early therefore in the morning, on the ninth day of
the first month, Joshua got up, and having exhorted
the people to sanctify themselves, because the Lord
would next day do wonders amongst them ; he bid
the priests ' take up the ark of the covenant, and pass
along with it before the people :' which they doing,
he and all the children of Israel removing from Shit-
tim, came to Jordan, and lodged there before they
passed over.*
Being ready next morning to pass over Jordan, and
the Lord having told Joshua that that day he would
begin to magnify him in the sight of all Israel, so that
they should know, that as he had been with Moses, so
he would be with him ; and having also' directed him
to bid the priests, who were to bear the ark of the
covenant, to stand still, when they were come to the
brink of the water ; Joshua thereupon calling the chil-
dren of Israel to hear the words of the Lord their
God, said, 4 Hereby ye shall know that the living God
is among you, and that he will without fail drive out
from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and
the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites,
and the Amorites, and the Jebusites, Behold, the
ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth pass-
eth over before you into Jordan. Now therefore
take ye twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of
every tribe a man. And it shall come to pass, as soon
as the soles of the feet of the priests that bare the
ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall res^
* A. M. 2553.
PART ItS SACRED HISTORY. 291
in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan
shall be cut off from the waters that come down from
above ; and they shall stand upon a heap.' And ex-
actly so it came to pass -3 so that the priests that bore
the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry
ground in the midst of Jordan. And this was that
wonder, wherewith the Lord had promised Joshua
that he would magnify him : as he had before magni-
fied Moses, by dividing the waters at the Red Sea.
Joshua having before, by the Lord's command, se-
lected out twelve men, one out of each tribe ; so soon
as all the people were clean passed over Jordan, he
called, these twelve men to him, and bid them pass on
before the ark of the Lord into the midst of Jordan,
and there, in the place where the priests' feet stood
firm on dry ground, take up twelve stones, every man
of them a stone upon his shoulder, according to the
number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and
carry them to the place where they should lodge that
night ; which accordingly they did. Besides which,
Joshua set up twelve other stones in Jordan, as a me-
morial of this great miracle, in the place where the
feet of the priests stood, that did bear the ark of the
covenant.
Now when all the people were passed over Jordan,
about forty thousand of the children of Reuben, Gad,
and the half tribe of Manasseh, ready armed for war,
leading the van, the Lord bid Joshua command the
priests that bare the ark of the testimony, to come up
with the ark out of Jordan. For the priests which
bare the ark stood in the midst of Jordan, until all the
people were passed over, and every thing was finished
that the Lord had commanded, relating to their pas-
sage. And as soon as the priests, that bare the ark
of the covenant of the Lord, were come up out of the
midst of Jordan, the waters of Jordan returned to
their place, and flowed over all the banks, as they
were wont to do before : for Jordan used to overflow
its banks in the time of harvest.
Israel having thus passed over Jordan, on the tenth
day of the fifth month, encamped in a place called
292 SACRED HISTORY. PART II.
afterwards Gilgal, which was in the east border of
Jericho ; and there did Joshua pitch those twelve
stones, which the twelve men had brought out of Jor-
dan, to stand there as a monument to posterity, that
when the offspring of Israel, in times to come, should
ask their parents the reason thereof, they might thence
take occasion to inform them, that the Lord their God
had dried up the waters of Jordan, and caused his
Israel to come over on dry land, as he formerly dried
up the Red Sea for their passage out of Egypt ; and
that all the people of the earth might know that the
hand of the Lord is mighty.
So great a miracle as this was, to cause a deep and
rapid stream to divide itself, and the waters, forgetting
their natural fluidity, to stand on heaps, while more
than a million of people, perhaps two millions (for
there were more than six hundred thousand fighting
men, besides the tribe of Levi, and the women and
children of all the tribes) passed through the channel
dry foot, with ail their cattle and carriages ; and this
so publicly wrought, in the sight of the nations, might
well strike the inhabitants of the land with astonish-
ment and terror, and so it did. For it is said, i When
all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side
of Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaan-
ites, which were by the £ea, heard that the Lord had
dried up the waters of Jordan from before the chil-
dren of Israel, until they were passed over, their heart
melted ; neither was there spirit in them any more>
because of the children of Israel.'
Herein the wisdom of God was greatly manifest, in
striking the nations with such a fear, that they should
not dare to make head against Israel upon their pas-
sing over Jordan, Josh. iv. For the Lord had now
a work to do upon his people, which would render
them for a while unable not only to assail their ene-
mies, but even to defend themselves. For during their
travel in the wilderness, circumcision had been omit-
ted ; whether through a neglect of the ordinance j or
that being (or expecting to be) always upon the march,
they thought it unsafe to expose them to the hardship
PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 293
of it ; and all tbey who were men when they came out
of Egypt, and had been circumcised there, being dead,
(Joshua and Caleb only excepted) most of the present
generation, being such as had been born within the
forty years of their wilderness travel, had not been
circumcised hitherto.
The Lord therefore, now that they were passed over
Jordan, and were ready to take possession of the prom-
ised land, commanded Joshua to make him sharp
knives, and circumcise the sons of Israel again (that
is, all those of them that had not been circumcised
already in their infancy in Egypt) ; which Joshua caus-
ed to be done. And when it was done, the Lord said
unto Joshua, 4 This day have I rolled away the re-
proach of Egypt from off you,' Josh. v. And from
hence the name of the place where this was done, was
called Gilgal, which signifies rolling. So that the
using of that name before, both in Josh. iv. 19, and in
Deut. xi. 30, was by anticipation.
In this place they encamped, and staid. till they were
whole of the wounds their circumcision had made.
And here they kept the passover, on the fourteenth
day of the first month, at even, in the plains of Jericho.
And now they began to enjoy the good of the land :
for on the next day after the passover, they eat of the
old corn of the land ; and on the morrow, the manna
ceased ; so that they eat thenceforward of the fruit of
the land of Canaan.
Now was Jericho straitly shut up for fear of the
children of Israel ; none were suffered to go out or in :
so that it seems they resolved to maintain the place,
and bear a siege. Joshua therefore himself drew near
to Jericho ; probably to observe where he might best
plant his batteries, and make his approaches against
the city.
And as he stood there looking up, he saw a man
standing over against him, with his sword drawn in
his hand, Josh. vi.
Joshua being a man of high courage, went up to
him -9 and boldly asked him, 4 Art thou for us, or for
2 a 2
294 SACRED HISTORY. PART II,
our adversaries V He answered, ' Nay (not for your
adversaries) : but as captain of the host of the Lord
am I come.' At which word Joshua fell on his face,
and worshipped, saying, ' What saith my Lord unto
his servant ?*
By this act of adoration, and the title of Lord, per-
formed and given by Joshua, and accepted by the
other, it is evident that this captain of the Lord's host
was Christ, the Son of God, who was pleased in this
manner to appear to Joshua, both to encourage and
direct him. Wherefore having first bid Joshua, as
Moses was bid at the burning bash, Exod. iii. 5 : 'to
loose his shoe from off his foot j because the place
whereon he stood was holy,' and Joshua having obey-
ed, the Lord said to him, c See, I have given into
thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, with the
mighty men of valour ;' and then instructed him in
what manner he should beleaguer the city, and how
he should take it, chap. vi. 2, &c.
Pursuant to which direction, Joshua, drawing out
the men of war, set them foremost ; and next to them
seven priests, blowing seven trumpets, made of rams*
horns : then followed the ark of the covenant of the
Lord ; and after that the rere-ward of the army.
In this order he commanded them to march round
the city, once every day, for six days together, the
seven priests sounding their trumpets as they went,
and to return to the camp at night. But he gave them
a strict charge, that none of the people should shout,
nor speak a word, as they marched, until he should
give them the signal to shout : and then they should
shout stoutly.
Having compassed the city thus six days one after
another, on the seventh day setting out betimes, about
the dawning of the day, they compassed the city
seven times that day, whence we may conclude the
place could not be of any great bigness ; and at the
seventh time when the priests blew with the trumpets,
Joshua said to the people, l Shout ! for the Lord hath
given you the city.' W^ith that the people gave a
I' ART II. SACRED 1IIST0RVT. ' 295
great shout ; and thereupon the wall of the city fell
down flat : so that the army marched directly up into
the city, and took it ; putting all to the sword, both
man and beast, old and young.*
Only Rahab, and those in her house, were saved....
For Joshua had given charge before hand to the two
spies, which she had formerly hid, to take care, and
make it their business, when the town should be taken,
to go to her house, and bring her out, and all that she
had, in discharge of their oath. Which accordingly
they did, and left her with all her kindred and sub-
stance, safe, without the camp of Israel ; for being
aliens, or heathens, they were not permitted to come
within the camp, until they were proselyted, or at least
legally purified.
Then setting the city on fire, they destroyed all that
was therein ; except the silver and gold, and vessels
of brass and of iron ; such things as would bear the
fire ; which were put into the treasuiy of the house
of the Lord. And Joshua gave forth a prophetic
imprecation upon him that should undertake to build
that city again, viz. That he should l lay the founda-
tion thereof in his first-born, and set up the gates
thereof in his youngest son ;' that is, it should be the
ruin of his family : which afterwards befell to Hiel,
the Bethelite, who in the days of Ahab king of Israel,
above five hundred years after, began it with the loss
of his eldest son Abiram, and finished it with the
loss of Segub his youngest son, 1 Kings xvi. 34.
Joshua had told the people before they had taken the
city, that it, and all that was therein, should be devoted
to destruction, as an accursed thing, except the silver,
gold, brass, and iron ; which should be consecrated to
the Lord : and therefore he warned them, that they
should by no means meddle with the accursed thing,
lest they should make themselves accursed, by taking
any thing of it, and so trouble the camp of Israel, by
fringing a curse upon it.
-, But notwithstanding this strict charge, one of the
tribe of Judah, whose name was Achan, which signi=
• A. M. 255J.
296 SACRED HISTORY. PART II.
fies troubling, took of the accursed thing, as well of
that which was devoted to destruction, as of that
which was consecrated to the Lord. And this brought
so great a trouble and curse upon Israel, that when
Joshua sent some to view Ai, a little city beside
Bethaven, on the east side of Bethel, and finding it
was not populous, nor well defended, ordered about
three thousand men to go up and take it ; they were
repulsed, and beaten, and fled before the men of Ai,
with the loss of some of die party, and the dicourage-
ment of the whole army, Josh. vii.
This disaster wonderfully afflicted Joshua : so that
rending his clothes, and falling to the earth upon his
face, before the ark of the Lord, he lay there until
the evening ; both he, and the elders of Israel, with
dust upon their heads, tokens of extreme sorrow and
humiliation; see 1 Sam. iv. 12, and Nehem. ix. I...,
And being wholly ignorant of the offence which had
provoked the Lord thus to leave his people, he poured
forth his complaint in this humble expostulation with
God:
' Alas ! O Lord God, wherefore hast thou at all
brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the
hand of the Amorites to destroy us ? Would to God
we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jor-
dan. O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth
their backs before their enemies ! for the Canaanites,
and all the inhabitants of the land, will hear of it, and
will environ us round, and cut off our name from the
earth ; and what wilt thou do unto thy great name V
But the Lord soon roused up Joshua, telling him
Israel had sinned, and had transgressed his covenant:
and that was the reason why they could not stand be-
fore their enemies. For they had taken of the accurs-
ed thing, viz. of that which was devoted to destruc-
tion ; and had stolen also some of those things that
were devoted to the Lord ; and dissembled, making
as if they had brought it all into the treasury of the
Lord ; when as they had hid some of it to keep for
their own use. Therefore the Lord bid Joshua up,
PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 297
and bestir himself, to clear the camp of this accursed
thing ; for he would not be with them any more,
4 Except they destroyed the accursed from amongst
them.'
From this instance it is observable, that although it
was but one man that was actually guilty, yet the guilt
was charged upon the whole people ; and they felt the
effects thereof, until they convicted and punished the
offender. Therefore the Lord bid Joshua proclaim
among the people, c There is an accursed thing in the
midst of thee, O Israel : thou canst not stand before
thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing
from among you.' Which that they might do, the
Lord directed Joshua how he should find the offender
out ; and how he should be punished, when found and
convicted.
Joshua therefore early next morning brought all the
tribes before the Lord, and the lot being cast upon the
tribes, the tribe of Judah was taken. Then going oil
by lot, from tribe to family, from family to houshold,
and so to particular persons, the lot fell at last upon
Achan. Whereupon Joshua said to Achan, ' My
son, give I pray thee, glory to the Lord God of Israel,
and make confession unto him, and tell me now what
thou hast done : hide it not from me.'
Herein we have an excellent example of a good
judge examining the greatest criminal by gentleness,
to draw him to a penitent confession ; rather than by
rigour, threats, or torture, to force from him a des-
perate discovery.
This gentle dealing had an answerable effect ; for
Achan thereupon thus made confession to Joshua :
' Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel,
said he, and thus and thus have I done. That is,
when I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish gar-
ment (which was of those things that were devoted to
be destroyed) and two hundred shekels of silver, with
a wedge of gold (in the form of a tongue, and there-
fore, in the margin called a tongue of gold) of fifty
shekels weight, (which were of the things consecrated
298 SACKED HSTORY. fART. II.
to the Lord) then I coveted them, and took them, and
hid them in the earth, in the midst of my tent.'
Joshua thereupon, for his more evident convic-
tion, sent messengers to search Achan's tent : who
finding the things hid, as he had confessed, brought
them to Joshua and the children of Israel, and laid
them out before the Lord.
Whereupon Achan being duly convicted, both by
the notoriety of the fact, and his own confession,
Joshua and all Israel took him, with the silver and the
garment, and the wedge of gold (as evidence of his
guilt) and with him his sons and his daughters, as
accessaries, and all his cattle also, together with his
tent, and all that he had, and brought them into a
valley, which from him thenceforth took the name of
the valley of Achor (for so was he called, and also
Achar, 1 Chron. ii. T.) where he and his family, being
first stoned to death, were burned with fire ; and a
great heap of stones was raised over him, for a me-
morial and warning to others.
By this execution the anger of the Lord being ap-
peased, he encouraged Joshua to go on in his
work : bidding him not fear nor be dismayed ; but
take all the men of war with him, and go up against
Ai. And assuring him, that he had given into his
hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and
land, he told him he should do to Ai and her king, as
he had done to Jericho and her king ; only, for the en-
couragement of the soldiers, he allowed them to take
the spoil of the city and the cattle, for a prey to them-
selves. And withall God directed Joshua to lay an
ambush for the city behind it. Which is the first
ambush we read of in story.
Joshua therefore, thus encouraged and instructed,
chose out thirty thousand mighty men of valour,and sent
them away by night, with order to plant themselves be-
hind the city, and as near to it as they could, without dan-
ger of being discovered ; and to be all ready in arms ;
that when he with the army should have provoked the
men of Ai to come forth to the battle, and by a feigned
PART II, SACRED HISTORY. 299
flight should have drawn them off from the city, these,
upon a signal to be given, by holding up a spear with
an ensign or banner upon it, should run into the city,
and set it on fire.
So well succeeded this atratagem, that thereby Ai
was taken without a stroke : for Joshua, when he un-
derstood his ambush was safely laid, drew up his army
before the city on the north side thereof, having a
valley between it and him ; where having pitched all
day, in the sight of the city, he led down his army at
night into the midst of the valley, to tempt the enemy,
by the advantage of the place, to make a sally upon
him, Josh. viii.
This bait took the king of Ai, who not willing^o
slip such an advantage, got up betimes in the morning,
and drew out all his forces, to give Israel battle. They
at first charge putting on an appearance of fear, turned
their backs, and fled ; which so animated the men of
Ai, that calling out all their citizens to their assistance,
they pursued after Joshua, till they were drawn away
from the city, which in their haste, and confidence of
victory, they had left open, and without a man in it to
defend or guard it. Then did the Lord direct Joshua
to give the signal to his men in ambush : which he had
no sooner done, but they immediately rising out of
their place ran into the city, and with all speed set it
on fire.
When Joshua by the smoke perceived his men had
possessed themselves of the town, rallying his forces,
he turned upon the men of Ai ; who looking behind
them, and seeing their city in a flame, were so dis-
pirited, that they had no power either to fight or to fly.
Meanwhile the ambushers, who had possessed them-
selves of the city, issuing out upon them in the rear,
the men of Ai being inclosed in the midst of Israel,
were smitten down on every side, so that not one of
them escaped.
The field thus cleared, the army marched to Ai, and
smote it (that is, the women and children that were
in it) with the edge of the sword j so that all the in-
UOO SACRED HISTORY. PART II.
habitants of Ai fell that day, being twelve thousand
men and women. For Joshua drew not back his hand,
wherewith he had stretched out the spear, until all the
inhabitants of Ai were utterly destroyed. The cattle
and spoil of the city, Israel took for a prey unto them-
selves ; and then burning the city down to the ground,
they made it an heap of rubbish.
The king of Ai, taken prisoner in the field, was
brought to Joshua, and by his command hanged on a
tree till evening. But as soon as the sun was gone
down, he gave order that they should take his carcass
clown from the tree, in observance of the law, Deut.
xxi, xxii, xxiii, and bury it under a heap of stones, at
the entrance of the gate of the city.*
The victory thus by God's direction obtained, Jo-
shua, in token of thankfulness, built an altar to the
Lord God of Israel, in Mount Ebal, according as the
Lord had by Moses commanded, Deut. xxvii. 5, and
thereon he offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace
offerings. Which done, he not only read unto the
people, both Israelites and strangers, the words of the
law given by Moses ; but wrote also upon great stones,
plaistered over with plaister, a copy of the law which
Moses had written ; according as Moses had directed,
Deut. xxvii. 2, 3, 4. So that it is not difficult to ap-
prehend how divers of the Gentile nations came to
imitate the Jews in many of their religious observant
ces and rites, when the Mosaic law was so publicly
exposed to the sight of all.
The report of the taking, sacking, and burning these
two cities, Jericho and Ai, and putting all the inhabit-
ants to the sword, alarmed all the kings which were on
that side Jordan, viz. the Hittite, Amorite, Canaanite,
Perizzite, Hivite, and Jebusite ; and made them think
it was high time for them to confederate among them-
selves, and enter into a common league for their mu-
tual defence.
But while they were gathering their forces together,
the inhabitants of Gibeon, who by nation were of the
* A. M. 2553.
FART II. SACRED HISTORY. 301
Hivites, ver. 7, considering that policy would go be-
yond strength, resolved to try if they could save them-
selves by a wile.
Thev therefore sent out certain men, who should
feign themselves to be ambassadors, come from a far
country, to treat for peace, and enter in a league with
Israel. And the better to persuade that they had
come a great Way, they took with them upon their asses
old sacks and old wine bottles, that were torn and tied
together, and old clouted shoes upon their feet, and
all their garments old, and bread that was grown dry
and mouldy.
Thus accoutred, they came to the Israelitish camp
at Gilgal, and presenting themselves before Joshua,
told him thev were come from a far country, desirous
to enter into a league with the people of Israel.
The men of Israel, somewhat wary, but not enough,
answered, l Peradventure ye dwell among us, and so
possess part of that land which God hath given us :
and how then shall we make a letigue with you ? And
Joshua downright asked them, Who are ye ? And
from whence come ye ? They cunningly, but falsely,
replied, We thy servants are come from afar country,
because of the name of the Lord thy God : for we
have heard the fame of him ; all that he did in Egypt,
and all that he did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of
the Amorites. Wherefore our elders, and all the in-
habitants of our country, bid us take victuals with us
for the journey, and go to meet you, and say unto you,
we are your servants : therefore now make ye a league
with us.* Then shewing their mouldy bread, their
torn bottles, their old clothes and clouted shoes, they
assured them that they took the bread hot out of their
houses, when they came from home ; that their bottles
were then new, and that their garments and shoes
were worn old, by reason of the length of their jour-
ney, Josh. ix.
The Israelites had a sure way to have known the
certain truth of this matter : for they had the unerring
vol. i. 2 B
302 SACRED HISTORY. PART II.
oracle, the Urim and the Thummim, amongst them.
But neglecting to ask counsel at the mouth of the
Lord, they suffered themselves to be beguiled by the
seeming simplicity of the subtle Gibeonites. And the
Lord neglecting them, for their neglect of him, suffer-
ed them to believe a lie, and be deceived by the de-
ceiver. So that the men of Israel giving a credulous
ear to the Gibeonites' fair story, sufficiently (as they
thought) confirmed by what their own eyes saw, re-
ceived them into a league ; Joshua making peace with
them, to let them live, and the princes of the congre-
gation swearing to observe the league.
But within three days after this hasty league was
made, the Israelites came to understand that these
new allies of theirs, whom they took to have come
from some very remote country, were indeed but their
neighbours, and dwelt among them, inhabiting a part
of that land which God had given Israel to possess.
And so near neighbours they were, that in three days'
march Israel came to their cities ; and fain would the
army have fallen on them. But inasmuch as the
princes of the congregation had sworn unto them, by
the name of the Lord God of Israel, to observe the
peace and league which Joshua and they had made
with them, the army was not suffered to smite them.
Yet the soldiers, not pleased that they were deprived
of so fair a prize as the rich cities of the Gibeonites
would have yielded them, could not forbear murmur-
ing against the princes. Which when the princes per-
ceived, they endeavoured to pacify them ; first, by
letting them know the necessity they were now under
of keeping their oath with them, lest they should incur
the wrath of God, if they broke it. Next, that the
league extending only to the saving of the Gibeonites'
lives, not the exempting them from tribute or service,
they might yet reap considerable advantages by them,
if they were made hewers of wood, and drawers of
water, unto all the congregation.
This being approved, Joshua calling for the Gibeon-
ites, expostulated the matter with them thus, * Where-
PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 303
fore have ye beguiled us, pretending ye lived very far
from us, when ye dwell among us V They in excuse,
answer, i Because it was certainly told thy servants,
how that the Lord thy God commanded Moses to give
you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of
the land from before you : therefore we, being sore
afraid of our lives because of you, have done this
thing to save our lives.'
But though by this trick they did save their lives,
yet did not this shift excuse them from being con-
demned to perpetual bondage. For Joshua denounc-
ed this sentence against them, ' Now therefore ye are
cursed ; and there shall none of you be freed from
being bond-men, even hewers of wood, and drawers
of water, for the house of my God.' They, glad to
escape so, replied, 4 Behold, we are in thy hand, (at
thy mercy) do to us what seemeth good and right
unto thee.'
Thus Joshua, having delivered them from the chil-
dren of Israel, that they slew them not, subjected them
and their posterity to this service ; that they should
cut wood and draw water for the congregation, and
for the altar of the Lord, in the place which he should
choose. And from their being thus given or dedicat-
ed tothis service, their posterity, after the building of
the temple, were called Nethinims, that is, given, in
1 Chron. ix. 2, and elsewhere often.
But though the Gibeonites had by their policy re-
deemed their lives, with the loss of their liberties, from
the sword of Israel, yet had they a new reckoning to
make with their old neighbours, the Amorites, who so
ill resented their abandoning the common cause and
interest, and making a private league for themselves
only with Israel, whom they accounted, and without
cause, their common enemy, that they resolved to take
revenge of them. And in order thereunto Adonizedek
king of Jebus, which afterwards in king David's time
was called Jerusalem, inviting four other neighbouring
kings to join with him, they all went up with their
united forces, and encamped before Gibeon, to make
. war against it, Josh. x.
304 SACRED HISTORY. 7- ART II*.
. Though Gibeon was a great city, equal to one of
the royal cities, and well manned; yet did not the
Gibeonites think fit to rely upon their own strength:
but forthwith dispatched their agents to Joshua's
camp at Gilgal, to acquaint him that all the kings of
the Amorites, that dwelt in the mountains, were gath-
ered together against them ; and to intreat him to
come up with all speed to their relief.
Joshua having made a league with the Gibeonites,
and made them vassals to Israel, held himself obliged,
both in justice and interest, to defend them. To
which also the Lord encouraged him ; bidding him,
4 Not fear the Axnorite army :' for he had delivered
them into his hand, and they should not be able to
withstand him.
Arising therefore from Gilgal, with all his men of
wrar, and marching all night, he came suddenly upon
them: and the Lord discomfited them before Israel,
and slew them with a great slaughter; and put the rest
to flight. And as they fled, the Lord cast down great
stones from heaven upon them : so that more of them
died by the hail stones than by the sword.
The five kings, escaping the hail stones, betook
themselves in their flight to a cave, at a place called
Makkedah, and there hid themselves. Of which in-
telligence being given to Joshua, he gave order that
great stones should be rolled upon the entrance of the
cave, and a guard of men set by it, to keep them in
till the pursuit was over: charging his men not to stay
on that occasion, but to follow the chace, and do exe-
cution upon the enemies, before they got into their
fenced cities.
And that they might not want time to complete the
victory, and revenge themselves fully on their ene-
mies, Joshua first addressing himself to the Lord by
pyayer, and receiving authority from God, commanded
the sun, in the sight of Israel, saying, c Sun, stand
thou still upon Gibeon, and thou moon in the valley
of Ajalon.' Whereupon the sun stood still in the
midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about
PART II, SACRED HISTORY, 305
a whole day ; and the moon also staid her course, until
Israel had avenged themselves upon their enemies.
This was a long day indeed, and there was no day
like that before it, or after it, that the Lord hearkened
to the voice of man, so as thereupon to stop the planets
in their courses. But the Lord fought for Israel.
Now after that Israel was returned from the chace,
having slain all the enemies that could not get into
the fenced cities; Joshua gave order to open the
mouth of the cave, and bring out to him the five kings,
who had hid themselves. Which being done, he call-
ed the captains of his men of war, in the sight of all
the army, and bid them, 4 Set their feet upon the
necks of those kings :' and they did so. Then said
he unto them, 4 Fear not, nor be dismayed ; but be
strong and of good courage : for thus shall the Lord
do unto all your enemies against whom ye fight.' By
which act, he both animated the soldiers, and exhibited
a type of a complete victory, which God had prom-
ised to crown them with, who fight valiantly under his
banner, in the spiritual warfare, against the grand
tyrant and adversary of the soul, Satan.
After he had thus triumphed over them, he smote
the five kings, and slew them, and caused them to be
hanged on five several trees until the evening: but
then ordered them to be taken down, and cast into the
cave, in which they had hid themselves : so making
their designed sanctuary their sepulchre.
Thus, God who sometimes brings good out of evil,
took occasion from that ill grounded league, which
Joshua had made with the Gibeonites, to forward his
own v/ork, and hasten the destruction of his and his
peoples' enemies. For by that means he destroyed
five kings of the Amorites, with most of their people,
in one day; which otherwise would probably have
cost Israel much longer time and labour.
The victory thus obtained in the field, Joshua
marched against the cities. First to Makkedah ; then
to Libnah ; thence to Lachish : where also he smote
2 b 2
306 SACRED HISTORY. PART II.
the king of Gezar, and his people, who came up to help
Lachish. From Lachish he passed on to Eglon ;
from Eglon to Hebron ; and from Hebron he returned
to Deber. All which places he took by storm, and put
the inhabitants, both kings and people, men, women,
and children, to the sword ; destroying them with an
utter destruction, according as the Lord had com-
manded, Deut. xx. 16, 17. And having performed
such great exploits, and conquered so many kings and
their lands in one expedition, through the assistance
of the God of Israel, who fought for Israel, Joshua
returned with his victorious army to his camp at
Gilgal.
Ail these great achievements are by some chrono-
logers reckoned to have been performed in the first
year of Joshua's government : and our industrious
countryman, R. Blome, places them all in the year
of the world 2553. But with his favour, I should
rather think they extended into, if they did not wholly
take up the year 2555. But to proceed :
When Jabin, king of Hazor, heard of Israel's great
successes, he thought it was in vain for the princes of
Canaan to encounter singly, or with small forces, so
puissant and victorious an army. Therefore he sent
to Jobab, king of Madon, and to the king of Shim-
ron, and to the king of Achshaph, and to the kings
that were on the north of the mountains, and of the.
plains, south of Chinneroth, and in the valley, and in
the borders of Dor, on the west : and to the Canaanite
on the east and on the west, and to the Amorite, and
the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite in the
mountains, and the Hivite under Hermon, in the
land of Mizpeh : inviting them all to enter into a
confederate league, and with all their united forces
to fall upon Israel.
Here was like to be work enough for Joshua at the
next campaign, for all these kings, with their several
hosts (so great in number, that they are hyperbolically
. said to be even as the sand on the sea shore for multi-
tude., with horses and chariots very many) went out,
PART It. SACRED HrSTORY. . 307
and pitched their camp together at the waters of Me-
rom, to offer battle to Israel, Josh. xi.
But when the Lord saw their pride and presumption,
he, to encourage Joshua, bid him ' Not to be afraid
of them : for to-morrow, said he, about this time,
will I deliver them up all slain before Israel ; and thou
shalt hough (that is, cut the hamstrings or sinews of)
their horses, and burn their chariots with fire.'
Accordingly, Joshua taking the field, with all his
men of war, marched directly towards the enemies,
and fell suddenly on them ; and the Lord delivered
them into the hands of Israel, who smote them, and
put them to flight, and in the pursuit slew them, till
they left none remaining.
Then having houghed their horses, and burnt their
chariots, as the Lord had bidden him, Joshua turned
back, and took Hazor, and all the cities of those other
kings, and put the kings and people of every city to
the sword, not sparing any, but utterly destroying
them.
And because Kazor had before-time been the head
of all these kingdoms, and Jabin her king was the
head of this confederacy, he caused that city to be
set on fire, and burnt down : but all the other cities,
whose inhabitants he had slain, he left standing, and
gave the spoil thereof, and the cattle, for a prey to the
children of Israel.
Thus did Joshua, by degrees, recover all the land
of Canaan ; subduing the nations and people that pos-
sessed it, and slaying all their kings, no less than one
and thirty in number, with the Anakims, or giants,
of which he left none remaining, save in Gaza, Gath,
and Ashdod.
But this work may be allowed to have taken up
some time : and indeed, in Joshua xi. 18, it is said,
* Joshua made war a long time with all those kings;'
and from Caleb's words, in chap. xiv. 6 and 10, where
he says, it was five and forty years since he was sent
to spy the land, it may be fairly gathered, that between
six and seven years were spent in this war, Josh. xii.
808 SACRED HISTORY. PART II.
The other things, which were mentioned afterwards
in this book, may be supposed to have taken up the
rest of Joshua's time. As namely, the dividing the
land beyond Jordan among the nine tribes, and half
tribe, by lot. (For the tribes of Reuben and Gad,
and half the tribe of Manasseh, had their portions as-
signed and given them on the other side of Jordan by
Moses himself, Numb, xxxii, which is here repeated,
and their lots described.) Then the setting up the
tabernacle at Shiloh, chap, xxiii. 1. The appointing
cities of refuge for the man-slayer, chap. xx. The set-
ting out cities for the Levites, some out of each tribe,
chap. xxi. With other things of more particular con-
cernment, Josh, xiii, xx, xxi.
The tribes thus settled in their several possessions,
Joshua called to him the Reubenites, Gadites, and half
tribe of Manasseh; and acknowledging to them that
they had faithfully kept their covenant, in accompany-
ing their brethren, and helping them to subdue the
land, he kindly dismissed them, with good counsel
and a blessing; wishing them to return to their own
possessions and families. They therefore, taking
their leave of their brethren at Shiloh, departed with
much riches, consisting in silver, gold, brass, iron,
much raiment, and very much cattle, being their part
of the spoils of war taken from the enemies, and
returned to their own country, Josh. xxii.
But when they were come to the borders of Jordan,
there they built a great altar ; not intending it for re-
ligious use, but to be as a witness or evidence to after
ages, that though they were parted from the other
tribes by the river Jordan ; yet they were all brethren,
of one stock, religion, and way of worship, and had
equal right to the altar of the Lord at Shiloh, and to
the worship performed thereat; of which altar at
Shiloh, this which they set up was a true model.
It was not long before the other nine tribes and
half (who are here, for distinction sake, called the
children of Israel) had notice of this altar being set
up. And the matter either being misrepresented to
PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 309
them, or they in a warm zeal misapprehending it, and
suspecting that their brethren on the other side Jordan
intended to revolt from God and them, and to set up
for themselves, assembled unanimously at Shiloh, to
go up to war against them. But before they took up
arms, they thought it adviseable to send ambassadors
to them, and see if they would be reduced by fair
means.
Choosing out therefore ten princes, one of each
tribe, and each of them the head of his father's house ;
they joined to them Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the
priest (who for his bold and commendable zeal, in
slaying Zimri and Cozbi, thereby suppressing a dan-
gerous rebellion, stopping the plague, and making an
atonement for Israel, Numb, xxv, had merited well,
and was well accepted of ail the tribes in general); and
sent them away, to examine the cause of the new
erected altar.
These being come to their brethren the Reubenites,
Gadites, and half tribe of Manasseh, in the land of
Gilead, fell bluntly on them with a kind of interro-
gatory charge, in the name of the whole congregation
of the Lord, thus :
. ' What trespass is this, said they, that ye have com-
mitted against the God cf Israel, to turn away this
day from following the Lord, in that you have build-
ed you an altar, that ye might rebel this day against
the 'Lord :'
And to exaggerate the offence, they put them in
mind of the sin of Peor, Numb, xxv, saving, c Is the
sin of Peor too little for us (from which we are not
cleansed to this day, although there was a plague in
the congregation of the Lord on that account) but
that ye must turn away this day from following the
Lord :' and to let them see, that it was not from an
over busy pragmatic mind, that they thus came to
call them to account, but that they had reason to con-
cern themselves in it, they added, If ye thus rebel
against the Lord, he will quick1;/ be wroth with the
whole congregation of Israel.'
310 SACRED HISTORW TART IT.
By which it appears, that if in a body or society of
people, whether civil or religious, a public transgres*
sion, although committed by some particular mem-
bers, be tolerated, that is, not condemned and removed
by the rest ; it will subject the whole society, or body,
to the guilt, and consequently to the punishment
thereof.
This they confirmed by the late instance of Achan ;
who committing a trespass in the accursed thing, wrath
fell on all the congregation of Israel ; and that man
perished not alone in his iniquity.
Then to prevent an objection, and take from them
all pretence of excuse or defence, they added ; ' If ye
have done this from an apprehension, that the land ye
possess on that side Jordan is unclean, or less holy
than ours, because the tabernacle of the Lord is in
our part, come back again and settle among us, where
the Lord's tabernacle dwelleth : but by no means
rebel against the Lord, nor against us, in building you
an altar beside the altar of the Lord.'
From which words we may observe, first, that to
add to, or alter, the worship, or religious service,
which God hath appointed, is to rebel against God.
Secondly, that they who so rebel against the Lord, do
therein rebel against his people ; and are accountable
therefore not only to the Lord, but to his people also.
When the Reubenites, Gadites, and Manassites,
had heard this heavy charge, they were troubled that
their brethren should entertain so ill an opinion of
them : but knowing their own innocency, and the In-
tegrity of their intentions, in what they had done ;
they applied themselves to inform their brethren
aright, and thereby to remove the misconceived offence
out of their minds.
Beginning therefore with a solemn appeal to God
(whom to shew their high veneration of, and how far
they were from turning from him, or preferring any
©ther God to him, they call the God of gods) they re-
turn answer to Phinehas and his companions, the heads
©f the thousands of Israel, after this manner :
PAKT II. SACRED HISTORY. 31 J
4 The Lord Cod of gods, the Lord God of gods, he
knoweth, and Israel also shall know, whether we have
built us an altar in rebellion, or in transgression
against the Lord, with an intent to turn from following
the Lord ; or have set up this altar in opposition to the
altar of the Lord, to offer burnt offerings, meat offer-
ings, or peace offerings thereon ; which we know the
Lord hath forbidden. If we have done it to that end,
let the Lord himself require it, and punish us for it ;
and do not ye spare us neither. But the truth is, we
have done it for fear of such a thing, and to prevent
it. For we considered, that in time to come, your
children might say unto our children, What have ye
to do with the Lord God of Israel? For since the
Lord hath made Jordan a border and bound between
us and you, ye have no part in the Lord j that is, ye do
not belong to the congregation of the Lord ; nor have
any right to come before his tabernacle, nor to offer
upon his altar, and so your children might be an occa-
sion to make our children turn aside from serving the
i^ord. lherefore we said, Let us now prepare to
build us an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacri-
tice, but to be a witness between us and you, and our
generations after us; that when we should come to
perform our service to the Lord, with our burnt
offerings and our sacrifices before him, if your chil-
dren should say unto ours, Ye have no part in the
Lord . Cfclld . ht BehoJd the
of the altar of the Lord, which our fathers made, not
to sacrifice upon, but to be a witness between us and
?orhW Ji/8 to ^V1"*^ 7e ch*rge us with, God
t Ll ftW7^OUld rebd a*amstt£eLord, and turn
Wnf > • m followinS the L^d, to build an altar for
burn offerings meatofferings, or sacrifices, besides
nacle.'ar * ^ °°d that ls before *is taber~
This answer pleased Phinehas and the princes of the
congregation so well, that they rejoiced It it; taking
ltra^T°;that the Lord was stil1 a™4
them, i* Aat their brethren the Reubenites, &c. had
312 SACRED HISTORY. PAST If.
been preserved from committing a trespass against the
Lord, which they had been suspected of, and the whole
congregation thereby delivered from the danger they
feared.
• Taking therefore their leave of them, Phinehas and
his companions returned to the congregation of the
children of Israel at Shiloh, to report to them the
good tidings of their brethren's innocency, and of
their godly care and zeal, that their posterity might be
preserved in the fear and service of the true God;
with which account the children of Israel were so
pleased, that laying aside all thoughts of war, they
blessed God for so good an issue. The Reubenites
and the Gadites, to prevent any future suspicions of
their intentions, called the Altar which they had built,
ED, which signifies a witness ; adding as the reason
of the name, 4 For it shall be a witness between us
and our brethren, the other tribes of Israel, that the
Lord is God :' as much as to say, the God of Israel
is our God ; they and we have but one and the same
God.
Joshua being nw grown old, and foreseeing his end
to be near at hand, he called for all Israel, and for
their heads, rulers, and officers, and briefly mentioning
what the Lord had already done for them, and what
he would yet further do for them, and enable them to
do for themselves, if they were courageous and faith-
ful to keep and do all that is written in the book of
the law of Moses, not in any thing turning aside
therefrom ; he warned them particularly not to come
among those nations which yet remained unsubdued
amongst them ; nor entertain familiarity or society
with them, Josh, xxiii ; and to be so far from bowing
unto their gods, or serving them, or causing any to
swear by them, that they should not so much as make
mention of their names, which also the Lord had be-
fore expressly forbidden, Exod. xxiii. 13.
This is fit for them to consider of, who, professing
to be under a higher dispensation than that of Moses,
do yet retain the names of heathenish gods,, in Baming
their months and days.
ft>ART II. SACRED HISTORY. 313
Joshua now also told the Israelites, that although the
Lord had hitherto fought for them,' and had driven out
great and strong nations from before them ; yet if they
should in any wise go back, to cleave unto the rem-
nant of those nations that did yet remain among them,
and should make marriages with them, and enter into
friendship and familiar conversation with them, the
Lord would no longer fight for them, nor drive oat
their enemies from before them ; but those nations
should be snares and traps unto them, scourges in their
sides, and thorns in their eyes, and should cause them
to perish from off that good land, which the Lord their
God had given them.
Afterwards more particularly recounting the deal-
ings of the Lord with them, and with their fathers,
and going as high as Terah, the father of Abraham,
(who dwelt on the other side of the flood, or great
river Euphrates in Mesopotamia) he deduced the ac-
count from thence to his own time j briefly touching-
some of the most remarkable passages.
Then solemnly declaring, that whatever course the
rest should take, he and his house would serve the
Lord ; he exhorted the people to fear the Lord, and
serve him in sincerity and truth ; and invited them
to renew their covenant with God ; which they having
done in full and very significant terms, he wrote the
words of their covenant in tjie book of the law of God,
and setting up a great stone under an oak, bv the sanc-
tuary of the Lord, he bid the people take notice, that
that stone (as if it had heard what had passed) should
be a witness unto them, to put them in mind of the
covenant that they had made, lest they should deny
their God, Josh. xxiv.
Not long after this, Joshua having attained to the
hundred and tenth year of his age, died, and was bu-
ried in the border of his inheritance, in Timr.ath-Serah,
in mount Ephraim ; which city, upon the division of
the land amongst the tribes, the children of Israel, by
God's direction, chapter xix. 49, 50, gave unto him,
vol. i. 2 c
314 SACRED HISTORY. PART II.
in token of gratitude for the many benefits they had
received by his ministry.*
Near the same time also died Eleazar, the son of
Aaron the priest ; whom they buried in a hill, which
was given him in mount Ephraim, which belongeth to
Phinehas, his son and successor.
But the bones of Joseph, which the children of Is-
rael had brought up out of Egypt with them, they
buried in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob
had bought of the sons of Hamor, the father of She-
chem : and it became the inheritance of the children
of Joseph.
* A. M. 2570.
THE END OF THE BOOK OE JUDGES.
*#* All this Book is thought to have been written by Jo-
shua ; except some part of the last chapter, wherein mention
is made of his death, which is supposed to have been written
bij Samuel the prophet.
THE
CONTAINING AN HISTORY OF ABOUT THREE HUNDRED
YEARS.
By whom, and in what time, this book of the Judges
was compiled and written, is very uncertain. Some
think by Samuel, the last of the judges. Others by
Ezra the scribe, long after.*
It relates first, that after the death of Joshua, the
children of Israel asked of the Lord who should first
go up for them to fight against the Canaanites : and
that the Lord had appointed Judah to go up ; declar-
ing, that he had delivered, or determined to deliver,
the land into his hand, Judg. i.
Whereupon Jiidah invited his brother Simeon,
whose lot lay within his, Josh. xix. 1, to go up with
him into his lot, that they might assail the Canaanites
with their joined forces: engaging to do the like for
him afterwards. Simeon agreed, and the success of
their undertaking was, that the Lord delivered the
Canaanites and Perizzites into their hand ; and they
slew of them ten thousand men in Bezek. Then pur-
suing Adonibezek their king, who fled, they caught
him, and cut off his thumbs and great toes. This drew
from him an acknowledgment of the justice of God
upon him ; for he, it seems (as himself confessed)
had cut off the thumbs and great toes of no less than
seventy kings ; whom also, though so maimed, he
caused to gather their meat like dogs under his table.
* A. M. 2570.
316 SACRED HISTORY. PART II.
The old city Jebus, possessed hitherto by the Jeb-
usites, who sprang from Jebusi, the third son of Ca-
naan, Gen. x. 16, here called Jerusalem, lay in two
parts, whereof one part fell into the lot of Judah, the
other into that of Benjamin. Judah soon over-ran
that part of it that belonged to him : and having put
the inhabitants to the sword, set the place on fire....
But having brought the thumhless king Adonibezek
with him thither, there he died.
Among the many places Judah now took, one was
Kirjathsepher ; which was a part of Caleb's portion,
but possessed by the Canaanites. Caleb therefore,
old though he was, as having out-run his eighty-fifth
year, Josh. xiv. 10, 11, yet retaining his youthful
strength and vigour, and resolving to storm the place,
that he might encourage his men to the assault, made
proclamation in his camp, that he would give Achsah
his daughter to wife to him that should smite Kirjath-
sepher, and take it.
So great a prize raised the courage of the adven-
turous young men: and Othniel, a valiant soldier,
somewhat of kin to Caleb (the text says he was Ca-
leb's younger brother's son; as being, say Tremellius
and Junius, of the posterity of Kenaz ; from whom
Caleb being descended, was therefore called the Ke-
nezite, Numb, xxxii. 12, and Josh. xiv. 14) won the
place, and thereby the fair prize, Caleb's daugh-
ter Achsah, whose name imports trim or neat.
She, when she came to Othniel, put him upon
begging a field of her father. But not thinking him
forward enough in his motion, she, alii ghting from her
ass, addressed herself to her father ; who asking her
what her request was, she thereupon desired him in
general terms to give her a blessing. But more par-
ticular^ she said, 4 Thou hast given me a south land
(which though it might be pleasant, yet lying hot, was
likely to prove dry and barren) ; give me also springs
of water;' whereupon he gave her both the upper and
the nether springs.
This strenuous old man Caleb, who was a prince of
the tribe of Judah, took Hebron, which was part of
FART II. SACRED HISTORY. 317
his portion, from the giants ; and expelled from thence
the three sons of Anak.
But this tribe, strong and valiant though it was, and
recovered from the Canaanites many places, as Ze-
phath-gaza, Askalon, and Ekronj and drove out the
inhabitants of the mountains ; yet the inhabitants of
the valley they could not drive out, because they had
chariots of iron.
Neither did the children of Benjamin drive out the
Jebusites that inhabited that part of Jerusalem that
fell to them : but the Jebusites dwelt with the chil-
dren of Benjamin in that part of Jerusalem.
The house of Joseph indeed, going up against Beth-
el, did, by the assistance of the Lord, prevail. For
they sending some to descry the city, the spies seeing
a man come out of it, seized on him ; and promising
to shew him mercy, if he would discover to them
the entrance into the city, he shewed them the way.
Whereupon they entering, put the inhabitants to the
sword, and delivered that man and his family.
But in other parts of the country, neither did Ma-
nasseh, nor Ephraim, nor Zebulon, nor Asher, nor
Naphthali, drive out the inhabitants of the land ; but
suffered them to dwell promiscuously amongst them :
nay, the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the
mountainous parts, and kept them pent up there, not
suffering them to come down to the valley.
By this means the Israelites, growing into acquaint
ance and familiarity with those heathen nations, did
fiot drive them out ; no not when afterwards they
grew strong enough to have done it : but contenting
themselves to make them tributaries, and willing to
entertain an intercourse of dealings with them, they
let them continue to live amongst them.
This was directly contrary to the express command
of God, Exod. xxiii. 32, 33, and Deut. vii. 2, &c. and
Bot only proved a snare to them, but greatly displeased
the Lord.
Wherefore the Lord, to reprove them, sent an angel,
©r messenger (so the word angel signifies, and so it is
2 c 2
318 SACRED HSTORY. PART. It.
explained here in the margin, and is supposed to be
Phinehas the priest) to them, and laying before them
the goodness of the Lord, and his favour to them in
delivering them out of Egypt, and bringing them into
that good land ; his faithfulness in keeping his covenant
with them, and their ingratitude and unfaithfulness,
in not obeying the voice of the Lord, but acting quite
contrary to his command, whereby they had provoked
him to withdraw his help from them; the people
thereupon seemed, for the present, so sensible of their
fault, that they lifted up their voice and wept, and of-
fered sacrifice to the Lord ; calling the name of the
place where they received this reproof, Bochim,
which signifies weepers, Judg. ii.
Mention was made in Josh. xxiv. 31, and the same
is repeated here, Judg. ii. 7 ; ' that the people of Israel
served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the
days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen
all the great works of the Lord that he wrought for
Israel. But when that generation was gathered to
their fathers, and there arose another generation after
them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet his works
which he had done for Israel, ver. 10 ; the children of
Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served
Baalim, ver. 11 ; that is, the lesser or tutelar gods, so
called, of the several nations about them.'
And indeed, scarce were their tears wiped off at
Bochim, and their eyes dried, ere they, forsaking the
Lord God of their fathers, followed other gods ; as
Baal, the chief and most general god of the heathens,
and Ashteroth, the idol of the Zidionians, represent-
ed in the form of a sheep. Whereby they provoked
the Lord to anger, so that he often gave them up into
the hands of the spoilers, of which, and the deliver-
ances he had wrought for them, upon their repenting
and crying to him fur help, a general account is given
in this chap, from ver. 14, to the end.
It was because of their unfaithfulness and disobe-
dience, that the Lord refusing to 'irive out their ene-
mies for them, to whom they themselves were too
PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 319
favourable, had suffered some of the nations to remain
among them ; whom yet they ought to have kept at
arms' end, and not to have entered into league, friend-
ship or familiarity with. For beside that it was ex-
pressly forbidden in the law, Exod. xxiii. 32, and xxxiv.
12, repeated in Deut. vii. 2, 3, &c. Joshua but just be-
fore his death had particularly warned them of the
danger they would run into, if they should entertain
familiarity with any of those nations that were by God
appointed" to destruction. And above all things charg-
ed them to take care that they did not make marriages
with them, as knowing how naturally that would lead
to the worshiping of their gods, Josh, xxiii ; yet all
that notwithstanding the children of Israel now indulg-
ing themselves the liberty to dwell among the Canaan-
ites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jeb-
usites, and growing into a neighbourly familiarity
with them, they took their daughters to be wives, and
gave their daughters for wives to their song, and then
what followed ? 4 and served their gods,' ver. 5, 6.
So sure a rule it is, that strange marriages lead to
strange worship.
Upon these high provocations, the anger of the
Lord was hot against Israel ; and he sold them into
the hand of Chushan-rishathaim, kingof Mesopotamia,
whose name signifies blackness of iniquities ; yet he
did not sell them absolutely, and for ever, but for
eight years ; in which time of apprenticeship and hard
servitude the children of Israel, coming to a sense
and acknowledgment of their transgressions, and cry-
ing unto the Lord for help, the Lord raised up a de-
liverer to them, Judg. iii.
This was Othniel (the same that had married Ca-
leb's daughter) upon whom the spirit of the Lord
came, which fitted him to judge Israel : and without
some measure of which, none can be duly qualified to
judge. He, in the strength thereof, going out to war,
.the Lord delivered the king of Mesopotamia into his
hands, and he prevailed against him : and upon this
defeat of the Syrians, the land had rest forty years j
320 SACRED HISTORV. PART 1 1.
to be computed, as some think, from the death of
Joshua, Judg. xxiii.
But after Qthaiel was dead, the children of Israel
did evil again in the sight of the Lord. Of which two
great instances are given in the seventeenth, eighteenth
and nineteenth chapters of this book. Which though
cast back to the end of the book, as if they belonged
to later times, yet, by the judgment of divers learned
men, were transacted about this time. By whose rea-
sons persuaded, rather than prevailed on by the autho-
rity of their names, how great soever, I choose to in-
sert those stories here, as the most likely time for
such evils to have been committed in. For it is plain
from the text, that these things happened when there
was no king (that is, ruler ; for king in a proper sense
there never yet had been) in Israel : but every man
did that which was right in his own eyes. But not to
be positive or over curious in a matter somewhat
doubtful, whensoever this fell out, the matter of fact
is delivered thus :
A certain devout woman, of the tribe of Dan,
through a mistaken and ignorant zeal, had dedicated
a sum of money unto the Lord, and laid it by, intend-
ing her son should make therewith a graven image,
and a molten image. Her son, a man of mount
Ephraim, whose name was Micah, finding his
mother's money, and not knowing what she intended
to do with it, made bold to steal it from her. She
missing her money, and not knowing who had robbed
her, not at all suspecting her son, did, in her son's
hearing, denounce a curse upon the thief (and as she
reputed sacrilegious person) that had taken it. This
wrought so far upon the son, that he thereupon con-
fessing the fact, told his mother it was he that had
taken her money, and having it still whole by him, he
restored it to her, being eleven hundred shekels of
silver. Which, if common shekels, at one shilling and
three pence each, would raise to sixty-eight pounds
and fifteen shillings of English money : but if shekels
of the sanctuary, double that sum, Judg. xvii.
PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 321
The mother having received her money again, took
out two hundred shekels of it, and gave it to a foun-
der ; who made thereof a graven image, and a molten
image ; and they were set in Micah's house : for he,
it seems, had a house of gods (that is, idols or images) :
and made an ephod and teraphim, probably with the
rest of the dedicated money, and consecrated one of
his sons to be his priest for a while, till he could light
upon a Levite.
If any should desire to be informed what teraphim
was, authors tell us that teraphim were images, for the
most part of men ; yet sometimes of other creatures,
as particularly dogs, for their watchfulness in guarding
the house. This latter sort were accounted the tutelar
or protecting gods ; answerable to the lares and pen-
ates, or houshold gods, amongst the Romans. Those
teraphim, which bore the image of a man, or at least
the head of a man, were used as oracles, to be con-
sulted with, and inquired of in any doubtful or hidden
matter. These were consecrated by magical art, to
engage some evil spirit to speak through them, and
give answers to the enquirers. Laban's gods, which
his daughter Rachel stole from him, Geo. xxxi. 19,
are called teraphim (see the margin) and are thought
by some to have been such oracular images ; and that
she therefore took them, that her father might not, by
consulting with them, know which way her husband
was gone. But it looks too gross ; I rather think they
were but the common penates, or houshold gods. See
Godwyn's Moses and Aaron, 1. 4, c. 9, and D'Assigny's
History of the Heathen Gods, lib. 1, chap. 15, for fur-
ther information.
Now though the times were evil, and the people for
want of government, and by intermingling with the
heathen nations, had corrupted their ways, yet it is
hard to conceive that they could be already so far de-
generate, as to set up those oracular images to ask
counsel of the devil by. But it is probable they thought
they might worship God by or through images (as too
many who are called Christians at this day do) ; for it
322 SACKED HISTORY. PART II.
is evident that Micah's mother dedicated her money
to the Lord, which she designed for the making of
images, Judg. xxvii. 3, and Micah himself, when he
made the teraphim, made also an ephod, ver 5, which
was the garment appointed by God for the priests to
wear, Exod. xxviii. 4, and by which they did ask
counsel of God, 1 Sam. xxx. 7, 8.
We observed before, that Micah, for want of a
Levite, had appointed one of his own sons to officiate
for him as a priest, till he could get one ; which was
not long first : for in a little while, a certain young
man that was a Levite, and had sojourned at Beth-
lehem Judah, departing from thence to get a place,
came in his journey to Mi can's house in mount
Ephraim. But that he, being a Levite, was of the
family of Judah, is not easy to be apprehended.
Micah asking him whence he came, and he answer-
ing that he was of Beth-lehem Judah, and was going
to sojourn where he could find a place ; Micah invited
him to tarry there, and dwell with him, and be unto
him a father, and a priest ; offering him for his wages,
ten shekels of silver by the year, and his victuals, and
two suits of apparel, one for common wearing, and
the other to minister in. If these shekels were of
the sanctuary, the tea would amount to twenty-five
shillings sterling ; but if they were common shekels,
they would come to but half that money. However,
the Levite liking the terms, was content to dwell with
Micah ; and so went in and became one of his family.
Micah, on the other hand, was much pleased in the
hope and confidence he now had, that the Lord would
do him good, seeing he had got a Levite to be his
priest.
Who this young man was, is hard to say. He is
called Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Ma-
nasseh, chap, xviii. 30. But who this Manasseh was,
who can tell? Tremellius and Junius call Jonathan
Pronepos Mosehis, ex Manasseh. AnnoU on Judg.
xvii. 1 : as if Manasseh had been Moses' Ngon, Ger-
shom Moses' grandson, and this Jonathan Moses'
PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 323
great-grandson. But since we read of no more than
two sons that Moses had, to wit, Gershom and Eliezar,
Exod. xviii. 4, where must we seek for his son Ma-
nasseh, whereby to make Gershom not his son, but his
grandson ? The old Latin translation, which is called
Jerom's, reads it Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the
son of Moses : and Broughton says, the Hebrews
read, Moses for Manasses. Which sounds most
likely, if any such Jonathan, son of Gershom, can be
found, and whose age may suit the time of the story.-
Whoever this young Levite was, he had not long-
settled with Micah, ere an accident fell out, which
unsettled him again. The occasion and manner
thereof was thus :
The lot of the tribe of Dan, which fell to them upon
the division of the land in Joshua's time, proving too
little for them, Josh. xix. 47, and they not enjoying all
that neither, for the Amorites would not suffer them to
possess the valley, which was the best and richest part;
but forced them up into the mountainous or hilly part,
Judg. i. 34 ; the children of Dan were forced to seek out
for more room, to enlarge their quarters. Wherefore
choosing out five valiant men of their family, they
sent them forth to spy and search the land, Judg. xvii.
These coming to, mount Ephraim, to the house of
Micah, lodged there, and knowing the young Levite
by his voice, they asked him who brought him thither ;
and what he made (or what business he had) in that
place ; he told them what agreement Micah had made
with him : and that he was hired, and that he was
Micah's priest. When they heard that, they desired
him to ask counsel of God, that they might know
whether their journey would be prosperous or no.
He bid them go in peace ; for their way was before
the Lord (meaning their undertaking was approved
by the Lord).
With this encouragement on they went, till they
came to a city called Laish. Where entering, and
making their observations, they took notice that the
people there lived very secure and careless, and with-
324 SACRED HISTORY. PART II.
out all manner of discipline or government ; for there
was no magistrate in the land, that might order or re-
strain them, and that they were far from succours, and
had no allies ; so that they concluded it would be no
difficult matter to overcome them, and possess that
place. And with that report they returned to their
brethren that had sent them out ; giving account that
the land they had searched was large, and very good,
abounding with all the necessary conveniences and
accommodations ; that the people lived so securely,
that they might be surprized and subdued. And to
quicken them to the undertaking, told them, • God
had given that land into their hands.'
Thus encouraged, the Danites sent forth a colony
of six hundred men, well armed, to go and possess
themselves of the city of Laish. These marching
through mount Ephraim, came in their way to the
house of Micah. And making a halt there, the five
men, who in searching the country had been there be-
fore, and went now as guides to the party, acquainted
there brethren, that there was in that house an ephod
and teraphim, and a graven and a molten image :
wishing them thereupon to consider what they had to
do ; that is, whether they had best tarry there, to ask
counsel of the Lord, concerning the success of their
enterprize, or take the ephod and images with them,
to consult with them upon all occasions.
The event shews they thought this last the best : for
the five men that were the guides, leaving the whole
party without the gate, turned in ; and Micah himself
being from home, they saluted the Levite, and sent
him forth to the Danites at the gate. And while he
was held in discourse abroad, the guides knowing the
rooms in the house, as having been there before, went
in, and taking the ephod, the teraphim, and the other
images, brought them out to their brethren at the gate.
This startled the young priest ; and he briskly asked
them, 4 What they meant to do V But they soon si-
lenced, him, bidding him, ; Lay his hand upon his
mouth, and hold his peace, and go with them :' put*
•PART"*!. SACRED HISTORY. 325
ting him to consider whether were it better for him to
be priest unto the house of one man, or unto a tribe
and a family of Israel.
The advantage and preferment he was like to have
by this change tickled the young priest; so that it is
said, • The priest's heart was glad.' So early, it seems,
did this itch of shifting from a lesser to a greater bene-
fice seize some of that function. Not staying there-
fore to take his leave of his old master, away ran the
priest with this new company, taking with him the
ephod, and the images, whereby he made himself an
accessary at least, to their theft, and on they marched
together ; putting the little ones, with their cattle and
the carriages, before them.
When Micah came home, and understood that both
his priest and his gods were gone, he gathered his
neighbours together, and followed after the Danites.
But they having got the start of him, were gone a
good way from his house before he could overtake
them. At length when he came near, and sent his
out-cry before him, some of the Danite soldiers facing
about, asked Micah 4 What he ailed, that he came
with such a company :' Why, said he, ' Ye have taken
away my gods which I made, and the priest ; and
what have I more ? And do you ask me what I ail ?'
O, said they to him, l Let not thy voice be heard
among us, lest angry fellows run upon thee ; and thou
and thy company loose your lives.' Poor Micah,
finding himself over-matched, was obliged to put up
with the wrong, as he thought it, and return home
without either gods or priest : a great gainer, had he
rightly understood it, by the loss of both.
Meanwhile the Danites, continuing their march,
came in a while to Laish ; and finding the people quiet
and secure, they set the city on fire : by which means
they, comparatively but few in number, had the ad-
vantage of falling upon the citizens while they were
busied in quenching the fire, and put them all to the
sword.
vol. i. 2 d
326 SACRED HISTORY. PART II.
Afterwards rebuilding the city, they called it Dan,
after the name of their father. And settling there,
they set up Micah's graven image, which having
stolen, they had brought with them ; and making the
young Levite, Jonathan, their priest, he and his sons
-continued to officiate as priest to the tribe of Dan, all
tlie time that the house of God was in Shiloh, until
the captivity of the land : which is reckoned to be till
the ark, in Eli's time, was taken by the Philistines,
1 Sam. iv, about three hundred years after this.
As this is an instance of great apostacy and corrup-
tion in religion, so that which follows is as pregnant a
proof of immorality and foul depravation of manners.
And thus it was :
A certain Levite sojourning on the side of mount
Ephraim, took him a concubine out of Beth-lehem
Judah. She it seems, being a light woman, had played
the harlot : and thereupon, either for fear or shame,
left her husband, and ran home to her father at Beth-
lehem Judah, where she remained full four months.
In which time her husband, having somewhat digested
the injury, he went at the four months5 end to her
father's, intending to be reconciled to her, and bring
her back with him ; in order io which, he took with
him a servant and a couple of asses, Judg. xix.*
Being come thither, she brought him into her
father's house, and her father received him with much
joy, being glad to see him, and entertained him three
days. On the fourth day morning, getting up betimed,
they prepared to be going ; but the woman's father
would not let them go till they had eaten : and after
they had eaten, he prevailed -with his son-in-law to
tarry one night longer. Next day he kept them until
afternoon ; and then alledging that it was too late to
set out upon a journey, would have persuaded his son-
in-law to have staid that night also. But he being now
fully resolved to be gone, would not yield to his father-
in-law's importunity ; but taking leave of him, set his
concubine upon one of his asses, and himself mount?
ing the other, departed with his servant. #
* Supposed to be circumcised, A. M. 1516;
PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 32?
By that time they were got as far as Jebus, that
part of Jerusalem which belonged to Benjamin, but
was possessed mostly by the Jebusites, the day was
far spent ; and the servant fearing to be benighted,
desired his master to turn in thither, and take up his
lodging there. But the master considering that Jebus
was a strange city, not then fully possessed by the chil-
dren of Israel, would not go thither : but bid his man
go on, that, if possible, they might reach Gibeah or
Ramah to lodge in.
Gibeah belonged to the tribe of Benjamin ; whither
they got just as the sun went down, and sat them
down in a street of the city, as the manner of trav-
ellers then was, waiting to see who would invite them
to a lodging.
At length came an old man from his work, out of
the field ; who seeing a way-faring man in the street,
went to him ; and saluting him, asked him whence he
came, and which way he was travelling.
The Levite told him that he was of mount Ephraim,
had been at Beth-lehem Judah, and was now return-
ing to the house of the Lord at Shiloh : but that no
man offered him a lodging, though he had provisions
for himself and his company, and provender for his
cattle ; so that he need not be chargeable to any body.
The hospitable old man, who himself was of mount
Ephraim also, though he dwelt at Gibeah, courteously
invited him to lodge at his house; bidding him not
trouble himself about provisions, but let all his wants
lie upon him.
Taking them therefore home with him, when he had
given the asses provender, and the guests, as the man-
ner of travellers in those eastern countries then was,
had washed their feet, they all sat down to supper.
But before they had done eating, behold, the men
of the city, wicked men as they were, having beset
the house round, beat at the door, to have broken it :
but it not breaking, they called to the master of the
house, just as the Sodomites did to Lot, saying,
* Bring forth the man that came into thy house, that
we may know him.'
328 SACRED HISTORY. PART II.
The good old man, to prevent danger to his guests,
ventured himself amongst the tumultuous rabble, in-
treating them, by the gentle compellation of brethren,
to give over their foolish undertaking; and not be so
wicked, as to violate the laws of hospitality: And as
Lot did of old, to pacify them, offered them his only
daughter, who was a virgin, and the Levite's concu-
bine, vto use and abuse at their pleasure, so they would
not offer any violence to his guest himself; but they
would not hearken to him.
When therefore the Levite saw that the men grew
more outrageous, he, to save himself, turned his con-
cubine out among them ; and her they abused all
night, not letting her go till break of day : and then
the poor woman, returning to the house where her
lord lay, fell down dead at the door thereof, with her
hands upon the threshold.
In the morning when her lord opened the door, and
saw his concubine lying there, he, thinking she had
been asleep, said to her, L Up, and let us be going.'
But when, she not answering, he perceived she was
dead, he took her up, and laying her upon his ass, got
him home as fast as he could. And as soon as he
was come home, taking a knife, he divided his concu-
bine, the flesh with the bones, into twelve pieces, and
sent them into all the coasts of Israel, to every tribe a
piece ; that so the whole house of Israel, being made
sensible of the injury, might revenge it.
A thing so barbarous in itself, and represented in a
manner so abhorrent from nature, made deep impres-
sion on the minds of the Israelites in general. All that
saw it said, ' There was no such deed done or seen,
since the day that the children of Israel came up out of
Egypt.' And that they might acquit themselves from
the guilt of so heinous a crime, by doing justice on the
offenders, the whole congregation of the children of Is-
rael was gathered together, as one man, from Dan even
to Beer-sheba, that is, from one end of the land to the
other, with the land of Gilead, unto the Lord in Miz-
peh, which signifies judgment, that there they might
examine the business before the Lord.
PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 329
When therefore all the chief of the people out of
all the tribes of Israel, no fewer than four hundred
thousand footmen, that drew the sword, had presented
themselves in the assembly of the people of God, they
required the Levite (the men of Gibeah having had
notice, and not appearing) to give them an account
how this wickedness was committed, Judg. xx.
He, in answer, thus related the matter to them : c I
came into Gibeah, that belongs unto Benjamin, I and
my concubine, to lodge. And the men of Gibeah
rose against me, and beset the house round about me
by night, intending to have slain me : but my concubine
they have forced, and she is dead ; whereby they have
committed lewdness and folly in Israel. Whereupon
I took ray concubine, and having cut her in pieces, I
sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance
of Israel. Now ye, being children of Israel, are con-
cerned in this abuse, as well as I j therefore consider
and advise what is to be done.'
When the people had received this account of the
matter, they were highly incensed against the men of
Gibeah ; and unanimously resolved not to return to
their houses, unless they received satisfaction from
Gibeah, until they had brought the offenders to pun-
ishment. Wherefore they determined, that if the
men of Gibeah should refuse upon demand to deliver
up the criminals to justice, they would go up against
Gibeah by lot, and chastise the men of Gibeah, ac-
cording to all the folly they had wrought in Israel....
And that they might have no diversion or hindrance,
they agreed to draw forth ten men out of every hun-
dred, an hundred out of every thousand, and a thou-
sand out of every ten thousand : whose business it
should be to fetch and bring provisions and necessaries
for the army.
Thus resolved, they sent men throughout all the
tribe of Benjamin, to lay the weight of this matter
before them, and to demand those men, the men of
Belial- that were in Gibeah, who had committed this
330 SACRED HISTORY. PART II.
outrageous villainy, to be delivered up to them, that
they might put them to death, and thereby put away
this great evil from Israel.
But the children of Benjamin, instead of joining
with their brethren to do justice on those malefactors,
resolved, in contempt of their brethren the Israelites,
to stand by them and defend them. And in order
thereunto, they gathered themselves together, out of
their other cities, to Gibeah, to go out to battle against
the children of Israel.
The Israelites that came against Gibeah were, upon
the muster, four hundred thousand fighting men.
Whereas the Benjamitish army consisted of but six
and twenty thousand, besides the men of Gibeah,
which were but seven hundred. A bold undertaking
sure it was, for so small a body to stand against so great
an host. But as the cause was bad, so the men were
desperate.
On the other hand, the Israelites, in their strength
and numbers over confident, despised the Benjamites
because they were so few. And determining of them-
selves the justness of the cause, never went to ask
counsel of God, whether they should make war upon
their brethren, or no. But taking that for granted,
that no emulation and difference might arise among
the tribes about precedence in this service, they went
up to the house of God only to know which of the
tribes should lead the van in that expedition ; and the
lot fell to Judah.
The Israelitish army thereupon advancing, sat down
before Gibeah, and offered battle to the Benjamites.
Whereupon the Benjamites, making a brisk sally, cut
down two and twenty thousand of them ; and retreat-
ed into Gibeah with very little loss.
This unexpected disaster much troubled the Israel-
ites ; and they now saw it was needful to enquire of
the Lord not only who should go up first to the battle,
but whether they should go to the battle at all, or not.
Wherefore, weeping before the Lord, they now ask
counsel of him, whether they should go up again to
PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 331
battle against the children of Benjamin, their brother,
or not : and the Lord bid them go up against him.
Whereupon encouraging themselves, they drew up
their forces again before Gibeah, and offered battle to
the Benjamites j who, making another bold sally, slew
eighteen thousand more of them.
With this second loss the children of Israel were
much dejected. Wherefore now, being more sensible
of their former presumption and neglect, they humbled
themselves before the Lord ; and all the people, going
up to the house of the Lord, wept, and fasted before
the Lord that day until the evening, and offered burnt
offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. After
which they inquired more regularly of the Lord, whe-
ther they should yet again go forth to battle against
the children of Benjamin, their brother, or should for-
bear. For the ark of the covenant of God was then
in Shiloh ; and Phinehas, the son of Eleazer, the son of
Aaron, stood before it ; that is, was priest, in those
days. Which (rejecting that Rabbinical dream, that
Phinehas lived three hundred years) shews that this
story fell early in the times of the judges. And now
the Lord, having corrected the Israelites for their
presumption and self-confidence, bid them go up again
against the Benjamites, assuring them, that to-mor-
row he would deliver them into their hands : as no
doubt he had done at the first, if they had then gone
the right way to work.
Now was the battle prepared the third time. But
the men of Israel, that they might at length make sure
work, resolved to use a stratagem ; laying an ambush
in the meadows behind Gibeah ; with direction, that
when the battle should be joined, and the Israelites,
by a feigned flight, should have drawn the Benjamites
from the city, the men in ambush seizing the city,
should set it on lire, as a signal to the Israelites to
rally and renew the fight.
Accordingly ten thousand chosen men of Israel
presenting themselves before Gibeah, the Benja-
mites issuing forth, fell fiercely upon them, and slew
332 SACRED HISTORY, PAR? II,
about thirty of them. Whereupon the rest retiring as
if they fled, the Benjamites flushed with their former
victories, concluded the day was their own j and sup-
posing them to fly in earnest, pursued with all their
force, till they were gone so far from the city, that the
men who lay in ambush, rushing in, set it on fire.
Which when the Israelites saw, they faced about, and
charging furiously on the Benjamites, made them
give back, and turn head, to secure themselves in
their city.
But when by the smoke and flame they saw they
were circumvented, they fled before the men of Israel,
unto the way of the wilderness. But being inclosed
between the main army of the Israelites, and that party
of them which were laid in ambush (who having set
the town on fire, fell in upon the Benjamites) they
were chased and trodden down with ease. So that
there fell of them that day, in the battle and in the
pursuit, five and twenty thousand and one hundred
men. And a thousand more having been destroyed,
some in the former battles, some in Gibeah, when it
was taken and burnt, there remained but six hundred
men of the Benjamites : who flying to the rock Rim-
mon, and hiding themselves there, by that means saved
their lives ; all the rest of the tribe of Benjamin being
cut off. For the men of Israel, having cleared the
field, turned again, in their martial heat, upon the
children of Benjamin, in every city, and put them to
the sword, both man and beasts, setting on fire also
all the cities of Benjamin that they came to.
Thus did that whole tribe pay dear for refusing to
do justice on some of their offending members.
Which may be a good caution to all others to beware
how they neglect justice.
But when the men of Israel came in cool blood to
consider the slaughter they had made of the Benja-
mites, and to how low a condition that tribe was
thereby reduced, they were greatly troubled : and the
rather for that, upon their first engaging in this quar-
rel, they had, by an hasty and unadvised oath,, bound
1'Afc.T II. SACRED HISTORY. 333
:
themselves before the Lord, that none of them should
give his daughter to a Benjamite to wife ; which tend-
ed to the utter extirpation of that tribe.
The sense of this brought grief upon them : so that
going to the house of God (to wit, the tabernacle
where the ark was) they abode there till evening be-
fore God, and with lifted up voices wept sorely, say-
ing, c O Lord God of Israel, w"hy is this come to pass
in Israel, that there should be to-day one tribe lacking
in Israel V And getting up er.rlv next morning, they
built an altar there, and offered burnt offerings and
peace offerings to the Lord, Judg. xxi.
Then applying themselves to find out some expedi-
ent whereby to elude their rash oath, and save the
sinking tribe, they called to mind that they had also at
the first bound themselves by a great oath, that who-
soever of the other tribes of Israel should neglect or
fail to come up to the Lord at Mi2peh, on that occa-
sion, to join with their brethren against the Benja-
mites, he should surely be put to death. Whereupon
they made a search ; and, by numbering the people,
found that there came none from Jabesh-Gilead to the
assembly at the camp.
It was indeed a great fault in these Gileadites, that
in a common cause, where such a wickedness was com-
mitted by some few, as, if not punished, would bring
a judgment upon the whole commonwealth of Israel,
they should appear so unconcerned, as if they favoured
the fact. But the proceeding of their brethren, the
children of Israel, against them, seems very severe.
For without sending (that appears) to know the reason
of their not coming, they sent away twelve thousand
of their ablest men, with positive commission to fall
upon Jabesh-Gilead, and put all to the sword, man,
woman, and child, except only such marriageable young
women as had never lain with men : all which they
were to save, and bring with them to the camp ; and
so they did, bringing four hundred virgins back with
them.
When these four hundred damsels were come, the
congregation sent heralds to treat with the Benjamites,
S34 SACRED HISTORY. PART if,
that were in the rock Rimmon, to offer them peace
and safety, and invite them to return. These poor
creatures, having lain hid there four months, willingly
embracing the offer, they came to the camp, and the
congregation bestowed on them those Gileaditish
maidens for wives : but the Benjamites being six hun-
dred, and these damsels but four hundred, there was
not for every man one*
This set their wits at work anjain. They concluded
that some way must be found to preserve that tribe
from being utterly destroyed; but hard it was to find
a way, having barred themselves of giving them any
of their daughters for wives.
At length they bethought themselves that there was
a feast of the Lord holden at Shiloh every year, to
which the daughters of Shiloh used to come, and ce-
lebrate the same with dancing before the Lord.
They therefore directed the Benjamites, that wanted
wives, to go and lie in wait in the vineyards ; and
when they should see the Shiloh damsels come forth
and be busy in dancing, they should suddenly break
forth upon them; and catching every man one for his
wife, carry them away into the land of Benjamin.
And that they might not fear an after-clap from the
relations of the maids so taken, they told them, if the
maids' fathers or brethren, come to us (who are the
heads of the tribes) to complain of you, we will in-
treat them to be favourable unto you for our sakes,
because we were to blame, in not reserving to every
one of you a wife in the war. And if they should be
scrupulous of having broke their oath, we will tell
them they did not, at this time, give you their daugh-
ters, but ye took them.
The Benjamites thus instructed and secured, watch-
ed the time ; and catching up every one of them a
dancing damsel, went off with them into their own in-
heritance : where, repairing* their cities, they settled
again, and in time recruited their tribe.
In all this we may see how wretched a thing it is to
be without government : for these things happened in
those days when there was no ruler in Israel.
PxillT II. SACKED 1IIST0HY. -335
But these so heinous sins provoked the Lord to
chastise Israel again by their enemies. Wherefore he
strengthened and encouraged Eglon king of Moab
against them, and made him a scourge to them ; who
else had neither strength nor courage to have attacked
Israel. But being thus stirred up, Eglon gathering
unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek, went
and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm-trees.
And as it was an aggravation of their offence, that
having been redeemed from thraldom before, they did
so soon transgress again, so far an aggravation of their
punishment, their servitude was now advanced from
eight years (which4 was the term of their former
bondage) to eighteen; for so long they served the
king of Moab.
Yet when the children of Israel, under the sense of
their misery, cried again to the Lord, he raised them
up another deliverer, Ehud, the son of Gera, a left-
handed man, of the tribe of Benjamin, Judg. iii.*
Ehud did not go to work, as Othniel had done, by
plain and open war ; which perhaps Israel, weakened
by eighteen years' servitude, and the tribe of Benjamin
especially, by the blow they had received but a little
before (in the Levite's case) might not then be in a
condition to undertake. But he contrived first to take
off Eglon privately ; as knowing it would be much
easier to deal with the Moabites, when they should be
in confusion for want of a leader, than while they had
their king at the head of them.
Repairing therefore to the Moabitish court, under
pretence that he had a present to deliver to the king
from his servants, the children of Israel, he was
admitted to the king's presence. And when he had
delivered his present, and sent away his servants that
brought it thither, he himself, returning alone, told
the king he had a private message to him : whereupon
the king bidding him keep silence till the company
had quitted the room, all the king's attendance with-
drew.
* A. M. 2618.
S36 SACKED HISTORY. PART II.
Ehud then, drawing near to him, said, 4 I have a
message from God unto thee.' At that word the king,
in reverence to the name of God, arose out of his seat,
not expecting so sharp a message as he received.
Meanwhile Ehud, with his left hand drawing forth
a dagger (or two-edged sword of half a }~ard long,
which he had provided for that purpose, and had pri-
vily girded under his garment upon his right thigh)
thrust it suddenly into the king's belly ; and that so
forcibly, that the haft went in after the blade. And
the king being a very fat man, the fat of his belly closed
over the dagger, so that he could not draw it out ; and
there he lay wallowing in his own blood. But none,
I hope, will draw this act of Ehud's into example.
When Ehud saw that king Eglon was dead, he went
o*-t of the room, shutting the door after him, and lock-
ing it. And when the king's servants saw Ehud de^
part, they returned to give their usual attendance on
their master. But when they found the door locked,
they waited without ; supposing he was gone to ease
nature ; which they modestly expressed by a cleanly
phrase, that he covered his feet in his summer cham-
ber. Upon this consideration they tarried till they
were ashamed : but when they saw that he opened not
the door, they at length took a key, and opened it.
And then, to their amazement, they found their lord
was fallen down dead on the earth.
Their delaying gave Ehud a fair opportunity to es-
cape ; which he did. Audwhen he was come to mount
Ephraim, blowing a trumpet, he quickly gathered the
children of Ephraim about him. Unto whom he
said, ' Follow me, for the Lord hath delivered your
enemies, the Moabites, into your hands.' They there-
upon following him, as their leader, went down from
the mount ; and securing the fords of Moab towards
Jordan, suffered not a man to pass over : but falling
courageously upon the Moabites, slew about ten thou-
sand of the chief of them ; and both delivered Israely
and subdued Moab, that day.
?ART II. SACRED HISTORY. $37
By means whereof, and of an additional help which
they received afterwards by Shamgar, the son of
Anath, a strong and valiant man, who, no better armed
than with an ox-goad, slew six hundred men of the
Philistines, and thereby delivered Israel from evil
neighbours on that side also, the land (that is, the
people of Israel, land being put, by a metonymy, for
the inhabitants thereof) had rest fourscore years.
Which number of years, as well as the forty years as-
signed before to Othniel, have troubled chronologers
to calculate, and of them divers go divers ways. I,
not designing to labour on that subject, as not holding
it essential to my present undertaking, taking (for the
most part) the years as I find them in the text, proceed
with the history.*
In so long a time of liberty and ease, Israel forgot
their former bondage ; and making an ill use of so
great a mercy, they did evil again in the sight of the
JLord : who therefore sold them again, for their cor-
rection and amendment, into the hands of Jabin ; who
assuming to himself the title of king of Canaan, reigned
then in Hazor.
This Jabin seems to have been a strong and power-
ful prince ; for he had nine hundred chariots of iron.
And doubtless he was a cruel scourge to Israel ; for he
mightily oppressed them twenty years together. Thus
as their sins grew greater, their servitude was made
longer ; from eight to eighteen years before : and now
to twenty. During which time they were so sharply
dealt with, that they durst not travel the common roads
upon their ordinary occasions of commerce and trad-
ing, but were forced to seek out by-ways, to avoid
their enemies ; so that the highways were disused.
Neither could they, with safety, dwell in their vil-
lages ; being assaulted by their 'enemies' archers, if
they went but down to draw water. And besides they
were not suffered to keep any arms, if it were known
that they had any ; but what arms they had they were
* A. M. 2720.
VOL. I. 2 E
338 SACRED HISTORY". PART II.
obliged to hide ; ' that there was not a sword or spear
seen among forty thousand in Israel ;' so servile was
their thraldom, Judg. iv.
But still the Lord, in the midst of his judgments,
remembered m» rcy : and when his people, brought
through suffering, to a sense of their sins, cried unto
him, he found means to work out their deliverance for
them ; and that at this time, after this manner.
There dwelt in Israel a prophetess, whose name
was Deborah, the wife of Lapidoth ; and she is said
to have judged Israel at that time : and the children
of Israel were wont to come to her for judgment. By
which it appears, that God (who is elsewhere said to
be no respecter of persons, Acts x. 34) is not so great
a respecter of sexes as some think him, but that he
can give judgment to his people, through male or fe-
male, as it pleaseth him. For since the judgment is
God's, Deut. i. 17, it ought to be received as such,
whatever the instrument be through which it is con-
veyed.
To this gord prophetess the Lord appeared, and
by his spirit directed her to send for Barak, the son
of Abinoam, a brave young prince of the tribe of
Naphtali. He being come, she acquainted him with
the Lord's command, that he should go and draw to-
gether ten thousand men of the tribes of Naphtali and
Zebulun, and lead them towards Mount Tabor.
This was an hazardous undertaking for Barak
therefore to encourage him, she (speaking in the name
and place of God) said, ' I will cause Sisera, the cap-
tain-general of Jabin's army, to come forth against
thee to the river Kishon, with his chariots and his
multitude, and I will deliver him into thine hand.'
Barak, considering the greatness of the enterprize,
and holding it necessary to have the prophetess with
him (both for counsel to himself on all occasions, and
for encouragement to his men) told her, < If she would
go with him, he would ; else not.' She replied, ' Jj
will surely go with thee ;' but withall pleasantly tolc
him, ■ This expedition would not be for his honour
PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 339.
for the Lord would sell Sisera into the hand of a wo-
man.' Then departing- together to Kadesh, where
Barak lived, he quickly listed ten thousand volunteers
out of Zebulun and Naphtali, and led them to Mount
Tabor, the prophetess accompanying him.
Notice of this insurrection was soon given to Sis-
era ; who thereupon gathering together his nine hun-
dred chariots of iron, and all his people that were with
him, which made a very great host, drew them down
tp the river Kishon.
Which when the courageous prophetess saw, her
spirit being divinely guided, she gave the signal to
the battle, by saying to Barak, c Up ; for this is the
day in which the Lord hath delivered Sisera into thine
hand. And is not, added she, the Lord gone out be-
fore thee ?'
With that Barak drew forth his men, and marching
down, from Mount Tabor, joined the battle with Sis-
era. And the Lord discomfited Sisera, with all his
host, before Barak. For the elements were stirred
up against the Canaanites, so that they fought from
heaven ; the stars in their courses fought against Sis- *
era, pouring down storms of rain and hail, with furious
winds upon them ; and the river Kishon swept them
away.
Nor did Barak's sword spare any : but like light-
ning (as his name imports) he new amongst them ;
and having put them to the rout, followed close upon
the pursuit, not suffering any to escape. Only Sisera,
king JabinV general, not finding safety in his chariot,
leaped down, and betaking himself to his heels, avoided
Barak's sword, to die an inglorious death. Which
thus happened :
Heber, the Kenite (who was of the posterity of
Hobab, otherwise called Jethro, the father-in-law of
Moses, and whose people went up with the children of
Judah, to dwell^ amongst them, Judg. i. 16) had re-
moved his family from the rest of the Kenites, and
pitched his tent unto the plain of Zaanaim, not far
from Kadesh, where Barak lived.*
* A, M. 2553.
340 SACRED HISTORY. PART II.
These Kenites, though, being proselytes, they wor-
shipped the true God according to the Mosaic way,
yet being strangers by birth, and not of the promised
seed, and so not pretending a right or title to the land
of Canaan, they held it best policy, in those trouble-
some times, to observe a neutrality, and maintain
peace, as much as might be, with both the Levites
and the Canaanites.
Upon this footing it was, that there was a peace be-
tween king Jabin, and the house of Heber the Kenite.
And that gave confidence to Sisera, now in distress,
to betake himself, in his flight, to the tent of Jael, He-
ber's wife, for refuge.
She, seeing him coming, went out to meet him, and
invited him to come in without fear. And he, glad of
the invitation, and not suspecting danger from her,
whose husband was his master's ally, went confidently
in. And being through heat and the toil of the day ex-
tremely thirsty, intreated her, in the first place, to give
him a little water to drink : instead of which, she,
opening a bottle, gave him his fill of milk, or, as some
think, of butter-milk.
Having with this allayed his thirst, he desired her
to stand in the door of the tent ; directing her, that if
any body should come to ask if he was there, she
should say no. Thus he instructed her to deceive
others, who herself, meanwhile, was contriving how
to deceive him.
Now thinking himself secure, he laid himself down
upon the floor ; and she spread a coverlet over him.
But long he had not lain, ere through much weariness
he fell fast asleep. Which when she perceived, she
took a hammer in her right hand, and a long nail (or
stake of the tent) in her left ; and pitching it upon
the temples of his head, smote upon it with that
strength and force, that she drove it clear through his
head, and fastened it into the ground : and having
him at that advantage, she smote off his head, and
so left him.
Then going to the door ©f the tent, to see whom
she could find to impart the good news unto, she soon
PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 341
perceived Barak himself coming upon the pursuit
after Sisera. Glad of the occasion, she went out to
meet him ; and inviting him in, told him she would
shew him the man he sought after. He thereupon
following her in, saw Sisera there lying dead on the
floor, with the nail in his temples.
By this means God subdued Jabin, king of Canaan,
before the children of Israel : who thenceforward
went on prevailing against him, until they had de-
stroyed him.
The victory thus obtained, and Israel's deliverance
thereby accomplished, the noble Deborah and valiant
Barak meeting, sang an heroic epinicium, or triumph-
ant song of praise, unto the Almighty, which read in
chapter the fifth.
A time of rest succeeded now, within the compass
of which the story of Ruth is generally, and with
good probability, supposed to fall : but the rise and
occasion thereof must be sought a little higher.
THE END OF THE BOOK OF JUDGES.
2e 2
THE
3500ft Of JRtttf),
In the days when the judges ruled, there was a fa-
mine in the land, which caused an Israelite of Bethle-
hem Judah, whose name was Elimelech, to remove
with Naomi his wife, and his two sons Mahlon and
Chilion, and go to sojourn in the land of Moab,
Ruth i.*
Long they had not been there, before Elimelech
himself died. After which Mahlon and Chilion, not
duly observing the law of God, took each of them a
wife of the women of Moab : the name of Chilion's
wife being Orpah ; and the name of Mahlon's, Ruth.
After they had dwelt there about ten years, both
Mahlon and Chilion died also ; and poor Naomi was
left in a strange country, bereft of both husband and
children, having only her two daughters-in-law with
her ; three widows in one family. Wherefore being
weary of staying in a place where she had lost the chief
outward comforts of her life, and having heard that
the Lord had visited his people in giving them bread
(so that the famine was over in Israel) she set for-
ward to return to the land of Judah, her two daugh-
ters-in-law acccompanying her.
Being on the way, she considered that though she
was going to her own country, her daughters were
going from theirs. Wherefore in kindness to them,
she advised them to go back, and return each of them
to her mother's house. And to shew that it was for
their sakes, not out of any dislike to their company,
* A. M. 2708.
i'ART II. SACRED HISTORY. 343
that she was willing to part with them ; she bestowed
a kind and motherly blessing upon them, saying, c The
Lord deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with my
sons, your husbands, who are dead, and with me. The
Lord grant you, added she, that ye may find rest each
of you in the house of her husband' (that is, that ye
may marry again to your content, and enjoy a happy
settlement). Then kissing them, as taking her leave
of them, they could no longer contain ; but lifting up
their voices, they wept, and assured her they could
not so part with her, but would accompany her, now
that she returned to her people.
She using many arguments to persuade them to go
back (the chief whereof was, that they might marry
again, if they staid in their own country ; which they
were not likely to do, if they went with her) at length
her importunity prevailed upon Orpah ; who with
tears, taking leave of her mother-in-law, turned back
to Moab.
But no persuasion would prevail upon Ruth ; who,
with a steady resolution, persisted in her purpose of
cleaving fast to her mother-in-law. And to stop her
mother from pressing her any further upon that sub-
ject, she said unto her, * Intreat me not to leave thee :
for whither thou goest, I will go, and where thou dost
rest (or settle) I will rest : thy people shall be my peo-
ple, and thy God my God : where thou diest, I will
die, and there will I be buried : God forbid that any
thing but death should part thee and me.'
When Naomi perceived that her daughter Ruth was
stedfastly bent to go with her, and had also a purpose
to cleave unto the God of Israel, she forbore pressing
her further : and on they two travelled together, till
they came to Bethlehem.
When they were come thither, where Naomi with
her husband Elimelech had formerly lived in good
fashion as persons of note, her return was generally
taken notice of: and her old neighbours remembering
her, though she had been absent so many years, cams
to welcome her home, and congratulate her return,
344 SACRED HISTORY. 1'AKT II,
But when she heard them mention her name, Naomi,
which signifies beautiful or pleasant, she cried out in
the sense of her affliction, cO call me not Naomi:
call me Mara, which signifies bitter, for the Almighty
hath dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full ;
having an husband and two sons : but the Lord hath
brought me home again empty j having neither hus-
band nor son.'
It was in the beginning of barley-harvest, which
usually was in their first month, when Naomi returned
to Bethlehem. And Ruth the Moabitess, though
poor, yet industrious, and willing to get something
towards a livelihood, desired Naomi to let her go into
the field, to lease or glean ears of corn, where thev
would suffer her. Her mother consenting, she went ;
and happened to light into a field belonging to one
Boaz, a very wealthy man, of the family of Elimelech,
and near of kin to him, and there she gleaned after
the reapers, Ruth, ii.*
She had net long been there, ere Boaz himself came
into the field, to look after his workmen. And having
saluted them, not with some airy jest, frothy flout, or
sharp taunt, as too many now a-days are apt to do,
but, in a very solemn and religious manner, which
they, in like sort, returned to him ; he took notice of
Ruth, and asked his bailiff whose damsel she was j he
told him she was the Moabitish damsel that accompa-
nied Naomi when she came back out of the country
of Moab ; and that she had asked leave to glean after
the reapers. Whereupon Boaz, directing his speech
particularly to her, encouraged her to coniinue leasing
in his fields, and not go any where else, but keep with
his maidens, into what field soever they went, and to
drink with his servants, when she was a-thirst ; letting
her know he had charged his servants that they should
not molest her.
Poor Ruth, overcome with this unepxected kindness,
bowed herself before him ; and could not but express
the thankful sense she had of his courtesy, in that he
w^uld take £0 much notice of her, who was a stranger.
* A. M. 2711.
PART II. SACRED HISTORY, 34a
But Boaz let her know that he had received a full
account of her, and of her kind and handsome carriage
towards her mother-in-law, since the death of her
husband; how affectionately she had clave to her
mother- in-law, and leaving her own father and mother,
and the land of her nativity, was come unto a people
whom she had no knowledge of before ; and that out
of a pious design to be under the protection and care
of the God of Israel ; whom therefore he solemnly*
besought to recompense her work, and give her a full
reward.
When meal-time came, Boaz invited her to come
and eat with his reapers ; and he gave her oi his pro-
visions more than she could eat. And when she went
again to leasing, he ordered his servants net only to
let her glean among the sheaves without reproof, but
to let fall also some handfuls of corn on purpose, to
make her leasing the better. Thus she gleaned in the
fields until evening ; and when she had beaten out her
corn, she had got about an ephah of barley, which, ac-
cording to Godwyn's Moses and Aaron, lib. 6, c. 9,
is half a bushel and a pottle.
This she carried home to her mother Naomi ; who
rejoicing to see she had sped so well, asked her where
she had gleaned that day. And when she understood
the man that had been so kind to her was Boaz, she
told her daughter he was of kin to them, one of their
near kinsmen ; and wished the blessing of God upon
him, for that he had not left off his kindness, either to
them who were still living, or to the memory of their
husbands who were dead.
Thus Ruth, with Boaz's leave, keeping near unto
his maidens, went on gleaning in his fields, until both
barley and wheat-harvest was over ; yet dwelt still
with her mother-ia-law Naomi.
But when harvest was ended, Naomi, studious how
she might recompense the affectionate kindness of her
daughter-in-law to her, and knowing by experience the
comforts of a married life, began to project how she
might engage Boaz to marry Ruth, to whom she
346 SACRED HISTORr. PART II.
reckoned she of right belonged, according to the law
of God, for raising up the name of a deceased brother,
Ruth. iii.
Wherefore having before acquainted Ruth that Boaz
was her near kinsman, and informed her what the law
of Moses required in that case, she advised her to
wash and anoint herself, which in those hot sweating
countries, and in her employment, wTas not unneedful,
and putting on her best clothes, go down to Boat's barn,
where he was winnowing his barley ; but by no means
let it be known she was there, until he had supped and
was gone to bed.
However Ruth, resolving to follow her mother's di-
rection, went down to the barn, and placing herself
where unseen she could see, she observed that Boaz,
after he had eaten and drank, and his heart was merry,
went and laid himself down at the end of the heap of
corn : then waiting a while, till he was got to sleep,
she came softly, and lifting up the clothes, undiscov-
ered, laid herself down (as modestly as the case would
admit) at his feet.
About midnight he waking, and feeling somebody
at his feet, was frighted ; and catching hold, perceived
it was a woman : wherefore he called out, 4 Who art
thou?' To which she answered, 'lam Ruth, thine
handmaid. Spread therefore thy skirt (or wing) over
thine handmaid ; for thou art a near kinsman.' Which
was in effect as if she had said, Take me to wife as
the law directs. For the phrase of spreading the skirt
or wing over one, imports a taking such an one into
protection. And because it is a part of an husband
to protect and defend his wife from injuries, therefore
to spread a wing or skirt over one, is used for a peri-
phrasis of marriage.
Boaz, from the account he had received concerning
Ruth, must needs know, both that her husband Mahlon
was near of kin to him, and what the law required in
in that case. But being himself pretty far in years,
and Ruth a fair young dame, he might question, per-
haps, whether if he should have made the offer, she
PART If. SACRED HISTORY. S47
would have accepted of an old man. But now that
she made the first motion, he was so far from rejecting
her on the score of forwardness, that he commended
her for it ; saying, c Blessed be thou of the Lord, my
daughter. For thou hast shewed more kindness in
the latter end than at the beginning ; inasmuch as thou
followedst not young men, whether poor or rich.'
He took it (it seems) for a token of singular kind-
ness to her former husband, as well as of devotion to
the religion she was now converted to, that she would
choose to marry her husband's kinsman ; thereby to
keep up her deceased husband's name and family, in
observance to the law of God, though that kinsman
was old, in comparison of her who was young, rather
than to please her eye with some young spruce fellow.
And therefore he bid her assure herself, he would not
fail to answer her desire, and his duty : which he had
the greater inducement to, because she had the gen-
eral reputation of a virtuous woman amongst all the
people in the city.
Yet withall he told her, that although he was indeed
a near kinsman, yet there was another nearer ; to
whom he must be just, in giving him the preference,
which was his right. But that he would speak with
him about it next morning ; and then if that kinsman
would do the duty of a kinsman to her (that is, marry
her) he might: otherwise he himself would assuredly
do it : and therefore he bid her lie still till morning.
She did so : yet got up before it was light, that she
might get off undiscovered. For both he and she had
a great regard to their reputation, and the honour of
their religious profession. And therefore he had de-
sired her to take care that it might not be known a
woman had come into that place where he lay.
But before he let her go, he bid her come and hold
up her apron or veil, and he put six measures of barley
into it, that she might not go empty to her mother-in-
law.
Thus laden, she returned to Naomi, and gave her
?.n account of the whole proceeding. Which, when
348 SACRED HISTORY. 3PART It.
Naomi had heard, she said to Ruth, * Be still, my
daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall :
for the man will not be at rest, until he has finished
the thing this day,' Ruth iv.
And so it proved. For in the morning Boaz came
up to the gate of Bethlehem ; and sitting down there,
soon saw that kinsman whom he had spoken of to Ruth,
coming by. Wherefore calling him to him, he desired
him to sit down by him : which he c'd. Then taking
ten other men, of the elders of the city, whom also
he desired to sit down by them, he before them ac-
quainted that other kinsman, that Naomi, who was
come back out of the country of Moab, had a parcel
of land to sell, which had been their brother Elime-
lech's ; whereof he gave him this public notice, that
he might redeem it, if he pleased : the right of re-
demption belonging in the first place, to him ; but in-
asmuch as there was none else to redeem it but they
too, he willed him to declare himself, that he might
consider what he had to do, in case the other refus-
ed it.
That other kinsman presently answered, c I will re-
deem it.' But when Boaz told him, that at the same
time when he redeemed the land, he must also take
Ruth the Moabitess to be his wife, to raise up the
name of the dead upon his inheritance ; that other
kinsman, changing his note, said, 1 1 cannot redeem it
(on those terms) for myself ; lest I destroy my own
inheritance. Therefore, said he to Boaz, redeem
thou my right to thyself : for (if that be the condi-
tion) I cannot redeem it.'
The reason thereof seems to be, that forasmuch as
by the law, Deut. xxv. 6, the first-born of such a mar-
riage was to bear the name of the woman's former
husband that was dead, to keep up his name in Is-
rael ; if that kinsman had married Ruth, and should
have had but one son only by her, that son not being to
bear his name, but the name of her former husband,
he himself should have had no son to keep up his own
?iamc in Israel : and so his inheritance might have
>ART II. SACRED HISTORY. 349
been lost from his name, by passing into another name
and family t which he was not willing to hazard.
But Boaz was content to run that venture. And
the manner or custom of Israel then being to confirm
bargains, sales, exchanges, and alienations, by the
ceremGny of plucking off the shoe of him that did re-
linquish, or transfer his right ; the kinsman, as a token
4hat he passed his right of redemption to Boaz, put off
his shoe (or, as some think, suffered Ruth to pluck it
off, according to Deut. xxv. 9) whereupon Boaz said
to the elders, and to all the people that were present,
' Ye are my witnesses this day, that I have bought all
that was Elimelech's and all that was Chilicn's and
Mahlon's, of the hand of Naomi. Moreover, Ruth
the Moabitess have I purchased, said he, to be my
wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his in-
heritance ; that the name of the dead be not cut off
from among his brethren : ye, I say, are my witnesses
this day.' Whereupon all the people that were in the
gate (the place of concourse and public passage) and
the elders of the city, answered, c We are witnesses.'
Nor were they witnesses only, but well-wishers also :
for they added, c The Lord make the woman which is
come into thine house, like Rachel and like I. eah, which
two did build the house of Israel. And do thou, Boaz,
worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem ;'
that is, prosper and increase thy substance, that thy
name may be noted all over the city. ' And may thy
house be like the house of Pharez (whom Tamarbare
unto Judah) of the seed which the Lord shall give
thee of this young woman.5 By which reference to
Pharez (the issue of that incestuous congress) respect
probably was had to the signification of his name, which
speaks a breaking forth : whereby they wish, that the
offspring of Boaz by Ruth may be numerous : and may
break forth, and spread themselves far and wide in Is-
rael.
Thus Boaz took Ruth to be his wife, without either
ring or priest ; and when he went in unto her, the<:
vol. i. 2 r
350 SACRED HISTORY, 1'ART IP,
Lord gave her conception, and she bare a son ; which
good old Naomi took and nursed, and the women her
neighbours named it Obed, which signifies a servant ;
perhaps to intimate, that he should in time be services-
able and helpful to his grandmother and mother.
This Obed was the father of Jesse, and grandfather
of king David ; of whom, according to the flesh, came
our Lord Jesus Christ, who, as he was appointed to
be the common Saviour of mankind, so he conde-
scended to come through Pharez, begotten in incest,
and through Ruth the Moabitess, that all, of all sorts,
might lay claim unto him, and to the common salva?
tion obtained by him for all.
THE END OF THE BOOK OF RUTH.
NOW FOLLOWS THE REST OF
THE
iSookoffu&ps,
We observed before, that this story of Ruth is
held to have fallen within the time of those forty years
of rest, which Israel is said to have had under the rule
of Deborah and Barak. To which now looking back,
we find, that after they were dead, the children of
Israel, grown through peace and plenty wanton, did
evil again in the sight of the Lord : by which afresh
provoked, he subjected them to the power or Midian,
to be chastised for seven years.
Though this bondage was for. a shorter time than
the former, yet it was very sharp upon them. So that
the children of Israel were obliged to betake themselves
to dens in the mountains, and caves in the earth, and
to strong holds : and yet even so, could not secure
themselves : for they were forced to come out to
sow the land, that they might have sustenance. But
when they had sown, and the corn was come up, then
came the Midianites, and the Amalekites, and the
people of the east, not only for forage,"but bringing with
them their tents and their cattle, in very great num-
bers, they encamped against Israel, until they hadTde-
stroyed all the crop and increase of the earth ; leaving
the poor Israelites neither corn nor cattle to live upon,
but sweeping all away. And thus they did from year
to year, till Israel was thereby so greatly impoverish-
ed, that in the sense of their misery they cried unto
the Lord for help.
352 SACRED HISTORY. PART II.
But before the Lord would give them ease, he sent
a prophet unto them : of whom we have neither the
name, nor any further account, but that he said unto
them, * Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I brought
you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the
house of bondage; and I delivered you out of the
hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all
that oppressed you, and drove them out from before
you, and gave you their land ; and I said unto you, I
am the Lord your God, fear not the *gods of the
Amorites, in whose land you dwell: but ye have not
obeyed my voice,' Judg, vi.
By this expostulation he brought them to a sense of
their transgression, and of the justness of the punish-
jnent they lay under; that they might be the more truly
humbled under his hand, and the fitter for deliverance:
which he intended to work for them by Gideon, the
sen of Joash the Abiezrite. '
Very busy was Gideon in threshing wheat, that he
might hide it from the Midianites, little thinking that
he must wo suddenly exchange his flail for a sword,
when the angel of the Lord appearing to him, said,
4 The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.'
This unexpected salutation startled Gideon. Who
thereupon taking occasion to bemoan the condition
of his people, made answer, i Oh, my lord, if the
Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us ? and
where are all his miracles, which our forefathers have
told us of, saying. Did not the Lord bring us up out
of Egypt? but now, alas! the Lord hath forsaken us,
and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites:
and dost thou say, 4 The Lord is with me ?'*
The Lord then looking upon him with a strengthen-
ing eye, said, ' Go in this thy might; and thou shalt
save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have
not I sent thee V
But poor Gideon, looking at his own weakness, and
not yet knowing who it was that spake to him, replied,
*■ Oh, my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel (or what
• A. M. 2r6Q.
PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 353
capacity am I in to save Israel) ; seeing my family is
but poor in the tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in
the family?' The Lord then, to encourage him, said,
4 Surely, I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the
Midianites, though they are so numerous, with as
much ease as if they were but one man.'
This raised Gideon's attention higher, to consider
who it was that talked with him. Whereupon he said,
* If now I have found favour in thy sight, vouchsafe
to shew me a sign, whereby I may know that it is
thou, the Lord, that talkest with me. Wherefore,
depart not hence, I pray thee, till I come again, and
bring forth my present (or meat offering) and set it
before thee.'
The angel promising to tarry till he came, Gideon
went in, and making ready a kid, and some unleaven-
ed cakes, brought them forth, and presented them be-
fore him under the oak where he sat. And having,
by the angel's directions, laid the flesh and the cakes
upon the rock, and poured out the broth, the angel of
the Lord put forth the end of the staff that was in his
hand, and touched the flesh and the cakes : whereupon
fire rose up out of the rock, and consumed them ; and
then the angel disappeared. Gideon, by this perceiv-
ing that it was an angel of the Lord, cried out, 4 Alas !
O Lord God : for I have seen an angel of the Lord
face to face ;' which was held a fatal thing. But the
Lord, to confirm and comfort him, said, 4 Peace be
unto thee : fear not, thou shalt not die.' Gideon here-
upon, in thankful remembrance of the Lord's goodness
to him, built an altar there unto the Lord, and called
it Jehovah-Shalom ; that is, The Lord of peace, or
the Lord send peace.
Hitherto the Lord had appeared to Gideon in such
a manner as was perceptible to his outward senses, to
confirm and strengthen him for the work he had to
employ him in ; which now he began to put him upon.
For the same night the Lord commanded him to throw
down the altar of Baal, which in those corrupt times
2*2
j$£j$ SACRED HISTORY. PART II.
had been set up ; and to ' cut down the grove that
was by it ; and to build an altar to the Lord his God
upon the top of the rock; and take his father's second
bullock, which was seven years old, and offer it for a
burnt sacrifice, with the wood of the grove which he
was to cut down.'
This bullock is thought to be called the second,
from the stall it stood and was fed in ; which was the
second in order of place. And being as many years
old as their subjection to Midian was, the destroying
this bullock might in some sort prefigure the breaking
the Midianitish yoke from off the neck of Israel, by
Gideon j whose name sounds a breaker or destroyer.
Gideon, resolving to obey God, began to cast in his
mind which way he might accomplish the work. And
doubting he should meet with opposition or hindrance,
if he should attempt to do it in the day time ; he con-
cluded to do it in the night : and accordingly taking-
ten men of his servants to assist him, he performed it
fully, as the Lord had directed him.
But what a stir was there in the morning among the
men of the city, when, as soon as they were up, they
found the altar of Baal cast down, the grove cut down
that was by it, and a new altar built, and the choice
bullock offered upon it ! They hunt about, sift, and
examine, to find out the author of this bold action :
and at length fastening it upon Gideon, they require
his father Joash to bring him forth that they may put
him to death for it.
Joash being a man of power amongst his people, and
well satisfied with what his son had done, stood up
boldly in his defence ; and expostulating the matter
closely with his fellow citizens, those Baalitish bigots,
1 Will ye, said he, plead for Baal ? Will ye serve him ?
Ye talk of putting my son to death for throwing down
his altar : but I aay, he that will plead for Baal let him
be put to death, while it is yet morning. If he be a
god, let him plead for himself against him that has
thrown down his altar.' And upon this occasion, he
PART IX. SACRED HISTORY* 3o5
called his son Gideon, Jerub-baal : as much as to say,
let Baal avenge ; or let the idol overcome.
Though Joash thus answered the men of his city,
and stopped their mouths ; yet the matter did not stop
there. The Midianites and the Amalekites, with the
other eastern people, gathering themselves together,
came over and pitched in the valley of Jezreel : not
only as at other times to ravage the country ; but pro-
bably to avenge the injury they conceived done to Baal,
the general god of the heathen.
Now did the Lord more eminently appear : for the
spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon ; it so came upon
him as to cover him. And he, in the strength thereof,
blowing a trumpet, all those of his family, the Abiez-
rites, came in quickly to him. Then sending messen-
gers throughout the tribe of Manasseh, and to the
tribes of Asher* Zebulun, and Naphtali, they flocked
in so fast unto him, that in a little time he had a pretty
army of two and thirty thousand men. But this was
but an handful, in comparison of the great host of the
enemies ; which consisted of one hundred and thirty
and five thousand men.
Gideon therefore, seeing the disparity of their
forces, and having never before been exercised in this
manner, besought the Lord to give him a sign or token,
for a confirmation to him and his men, that he would
save Israel by his hand.
The sign he proposed was, that he laying a fleece of
wool in the floor, the dew should be upon the fleece
only, and the earth round about should be dry. The
Lord condescended: and Gideon, having laid down
his fleece over night, found the ground about it dry
in the morning, and the fleece so full of d^w^ that he
wrung a bowl full of water out of it.
- To encourage and hearten his men, and remove out
of their minds, all suspicion of art or contrivance,
Gideon asked leave of God, that he might make trial
by his fleece once more, inverting the order ; so that
the token of good success now should be, that the fleece
should be dry, and the ground dewy. To which the
356 SACRED HISTORY. PART IT.
Lord graciously yielded ; and the fleece being laid the
next night again, was found dry in the morning, but
the ground round about it had dew upon it.
Thus by a two-fold miracle confirmed, Gideon re-
solved to give battle to the Midianites ; and in order
thereunto drew up his army beside the well of Harod,
having the enemy on the north side of him, in the val-
ley, by the hill of Moreh, Judg. vii.
But as Gideon before thought his forces too few,
God now thought them too many, and that, if he de-
livered the Midianites into their hands (as he intended
to do) Israel might be apt to vaunt themselves against
him, and attribute their deliverance to their own
strength. Therefore he ordered Gideon to make
proclamation throughout the camp, that whosoever
was afraid, should have liberty to ' '^part and return
home. And upon that, there marched off two and
twenty thousand at once : so that Gicffon had but ten
thousand men left with him. And yet'the Lord held
these too many still. For he was resolved now to
order the matter so, that Israel's deliverance should
evidently appear to be wholly of the Lord, not of man.
Therefore he bid Gideon bring the soldiers down
unto the water. And as Gideon had before asked
sign upon sign, he would now, without asking, give
him a sign whereby he should distinguish and know
which of them should go with him, and which should
not. They that took up water in their hand, and lap-
ped it like a dog, should go with him ; but they that
kneeled down to drink should be disbanded.
When it came to the trial, nine thousand and seven
hundred of the ten thousand kneeled down to drink :
so that Gideon had but three hundred left to go with
him. And yet by those three hundred men that lap-
ped, the Lord told him he would save Israel, and de-
liver the Midianites into his hand. Wherefore, at
the Lord's command, he dismissed all the rest of the
people ; only keeping so many of their trumpets, that
each of his three hundred men might have one for him-
self.
1*ART II. SACRED HISTORY. 35/
Now had Gideon need of strong faith to his weak
forces : for the same night the Lord gave him the
word of command, to go and fall on; telling him he
had delivered the Midi unites into his hand. Yet con-
sidering the greatness and difficulty of the enterprize,
he graciously added ; 4 But if thou fear to go down,
go thou first, with Phurah thy servant ; that by hear-
ing what they say among themselves, thy hands may
be strengthened, and thou be encouraged to go down
with thy men.'
Gideon, glad of this liberty, taking only his servant
with him, went softly down, in the covert of the even-
ing, till he came to the utmost ranks of the enemy's*
army ; which lay along in the valley, like grasshoppers
for multitude, and their camels without number.
Long he had rjj£ Bfed there, ere he heard one of
the enemy's ^H ling his dream to his comrade j
and thus he ^H ' Behold, said he, I dreamed a
dream ; and lo, a cake of barley-bread tumbled into
the host of Midian, au£j|£oming against a tent smote
it, that it fell and c- that the tent lay along.'
His comrade presently un ig to expound the
dream, told him, 'This ba ;:e is nothing else,
save the sword of Gideon, the son of Joash, a man of
Israel : for into his hand hath God delivered Midian,
and all the host.'
When Gideon had heard this dream, with the in-
terpretation thereof, he had enough. Wherefore bow-
ing himself in thankfulness to God, his next care was,
how to get back, as he came thither, undiscovered*
Which having done, he cheerfully said to his men,
4 Arise : for the Lord hath delivered the host of Mi-
dian into your hand.'
Then dividing his three hundred men into three
companies, and giving every man a trumpet in one
hand, and a pitcher with a burning lamp in it, in the
other hand ; he charged them to follow him, and ob-
serving his motion, do just as they should see him do.
All things now disposed in order, Gideon set for-
ward with one hundred men at his heels j the other
358 SACRED HISTORY. PAR* if,
two companies advancing also, and placing themselves
on each side of the host : and when Gideon was come
to the outside of the camp, he with his company blew
their trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in
their hands. Which the other two companies observ-
ing, they forthwith blew their trumpets also, and brake
their pinchers; and with terrible shouts cried out,
1 The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon :' for that
was the word.
It was now the beginning of the middle watch,
which, dividing the night, from six to six, into four
watches, as most do, should answer ten at night with
us. But that seems early, considering how much
time must be spent, after Gideon had order to set
forward, in his going to the camp; staying there to
hear the dream with its interpretation : returning back
again, disposing his men, and giving the necessary
orders for the assault. Drusius, on the place, di-
viding the night into three watches only, supposes
this to be called the middle watch, as being the mid-
dlemost of three. Such a division running the middle
watch an hour further, makes the beginning of it an-
swer our eleven at night.
.i..'i Whichsoever it was, likely it is that the Midianitish
host were in their tents, and settled to rest, when their
quarters were beaten up with this unexpected alarm ;
which must needs be not only very surprising, but
exceeding terrible to them.
The sudden sounding of so many warlike trumpets,
;.the crashing noise of so many pitchers dashed in
pieces all in a moment, the dazzling sight of so many
flaming tapers, flashing about in a dark night, might
11 strike them with both amazement and terror.
Nor was it a slight or common policy in Gideon, to
put a trumpet in every man's hand; by which the
Midianites might well suppose, according to. the rules
of military order, the Israelitish army to be very
great, when they heard so many trumpets sounding
together : and those so disposed, on each side of the
camp that the Midianites might apprehend they were
surrounded and enclosed.
PART II, SACRED HISTORY. $59
But above all, the Lord struck the Midianites with
fear, and set them altogether by the ears amongst
themselves throughout the host: so that rising up in a
fright, they ran and fled, making an horrible outcry,
and thrust their swords through one another.
Which disorder being observed, the men of Israel
gathered together out of Naphtali, Asher, and all Ma-
nasseh, and pursued the Midianites: for they who
before were afraid to fight, were now bold to pursue
?. flying enemy,
Gideon also sent messengers throughout all Mount
Ephraim, inviting the Ephraimites to come down
against the Midianites, and possess themselves of the
fords, that they might take them in their flight over
Jordan ; which the Ephraimites doing, they took Oreb
and Zeeb, two princes of the Midianites, and having
slain them, followed the pursuit.
Gideon meanwhile, with his three hundred men,
following hard upon the chace, came weary and faint
to Succoth ; where making a little halt, he entreated
the men of Succoth to give his soldiers some loaves
of bread, to refresh them, because they were hasting
in pursuit after Zebah and Zalmunna, two of the kings
of Midjan, who with about fifteen thousand men were %
fled to Karkor. But the princes of Succoth, consider-
ing how strong the Midianitish kings were in compar-
rison of Gideon, they being fifteen thousand to his
three hundred tired men, not only refused to refresh
his soldiers, but in derison asked him, if the hands of
Zebah and Zalmunna were now in his hands, that
they should relieve his army, Judg. viii.
This insult Gideon resented so much, that he to?
them, 'When the Lord hath delivered Zebah ajj ,
Zalmunna into my hand, then will I tear yoAir fles
with the thorns of the wilderness, and with briarsv*
Then marching a little further to Penuel, he madi|^
the like request to the men of that place, and received
from them the same answer that he had at Succoth.
Whereupon he told the men of Penuel, 'When I
come again, in peace, I will break down this tower,'
360 SACRED HISTORY* *ART II.
Hopeless now of any relief, he was obliged to lead
on his men, faint and weary as they were, towards
Karkor ; where the two Midianitish kings, with their
rallied hosts, lay, as they thought, secure.
But he falling suddenly and briskly upon them,
smote and discomfited the whole host. And pursuing
the two kings, Zebah and Zalmunna, who fied, he
took them, and brought them back with him to Suc-
coth.
But before he entered the town, having caught a
young man of the place, he made him describe unto
him the princes of Succoth ; who were threescore and
seventeen men. Then entering the city, and calling
the princes before him, he shewed them Zebah and
Zalmunna, his prisoners, with whom they before had
upbraided him ; and taking the elders of the city, he
chastised them with thorns and briars, as he had be-
fore threatened to do ; and thereby taught the men of
Succoth to behave themselves better for the future.
Nor did he spare Penuel ; but threw down the tower,
and slew the chief men (or governors) of the city.
Then turning to Zebah and Zalmunna, he asked
them what manner of men they were whom they had
slain at Tabor ; and they telling him they were like
him, each of them representing the child of a king,
he replied, ' They were my brethren, even the sons of
my mother ;' whose lives, if they had saved, he would
(he told them) have saved theirs : but now, since they
had killed his brethren, they must expect no mercy.
Therefore he bid his eldest son J ether,' rise up and slay
them : but he, being but a youth, was somewhat timor-
ous, and not forward to draw his sword. Which Zebah
and Zalmunna observing, and thinking it better (see-
ing there was no hopes of life) to be dispatched quick-
ly by a strong and bold hand, than to be long a hacking
4to death by a feeble and fearful hand, desired Gideon
to fall upon them himself; l for as is the man, said
they, so is his strength.' Whereupon Gideon arose
and slew them, and took the ornaments, or trappings.
from off their camels' Reeks.
PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 361
The men of Ephraim, when they had taken and
slain Oreb and Zeeb, two princes of Midian, brought
their heads to Gideon, on the other side Jordan, to
let him see what service they had done ; and withall,
began to quarrel with him for his not calling them at
the first to the battle. But he, by magnifying their
service and success in what they had done upon the
pursuit, and preferring their performances to his own,
wisely pacified them, and so prevented further mis-
chief.
The strength of Midian thus broken by the slaugh-
ter and destruction of their whole host, consisting of
an hundred thirty and five thousand men, a time of
peace and tranquillity ensued to Israel for forty years
together. Which period yet is by many reckoned to
commence from the end of the forty years peace pro-
cured by Deborah and Barak.
And now so full of sense were the men of Israel of
Gideon's merit, in having wrought so great a deliver-
ance from them, that they offered to settle the govern-
ment on Gideon, and make it hereditary to his family.
Which great temptation Gideon most generously re-
sisted, saying, l I will not rule over you, neither shall
my son rule over you : but the Lord shall rule over
you. Yet to let you see, said he, that I do not slight
your kindness, I will request one thing of you ; and
that is, that ye will every one give me the ear-rings of
his prey.' They readily answered, 4 We will willingly
give them.' And forthwith spreading a garment, they
cast in every man the ear-rings of his prey : which
being of gold (as being taken from the Ishmaelites)
they came by weight to one thousand and seven hun-
dred shekels of gold ; besides divers other sorts of
ornaments, and rich raiment, with the chains that were
upon the camels' necks ; all which they threw in, over
and above what was asked.
If the shekel of gold was in value fifteen shillings
of English money, as Godwyn computes it (Moses
and Aaron, 1. 6, c» 9) these one thousand seven hun-
vol. l. 2g
562 SACRED HISTORY. TART II.
dred shekels would come to one thousand two hun-
dred seventy and five pounds.
Of this gold Gideon made an ephod, and put it in
his city Ophrah, with no other intention, as is generally
concluded, but that it might be a monument of the vic-
tory obtained by Israel over the Midianites. But it
proved a snare to the house of Gideon ; and indeed to
the whole house of Israel. For after Gideon was
dead, who lived to a good old age, and was buried in
the sepulchre of Joash his father, in his city Ophrah,
all Israel went a whoring after this ephod, and turned
again after Baalirn, and made Baal-berith their god ;
which was the idol of the Sechemites, amongst whom
he had an house or temple.
Thus the children of Israel remembered not the
Lord their God, who had delivered them out of the
hands of all their enemies on every side: neither
shewed they kindness to the house of Jerub-baal, that
is, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had
shewed unto Israel,*
Their ingratitude to God, the author of their delivr
erance, is seen in their forsaking the Lord, and serv^
ing strange gods. Their ingratitude to Gideon, the
instrument of their deliverance, is evinced by their
killing his sons, which the sequel of the story relates.
For Gideon, by many wives, had threescore and
ten sons ; and by a concubine, he had one son, whom
he named Abimelech. Now though Gideon had re-
fused the government of Israel, both for himself and
for his sons ; yet when he was dead, this bastard Abi-
melech, being a forward youth, betook himself to his
mothers kindred at Shechem ; and suggesting to them
that all his seventy brethren would usurp the govern-
ment over them, wished them to consider, which
would be better for t}iem, that seventy persons should
reign over them, or but one : and withall put them in
mind, that he was their bone and their flesh, Judg. ix.
His mother's kindred taking, this in, as a project
that promised preferment to them, slily insinuated it
to the men of Shechem ; who, for the same reason
♦ A. M. 2760.
PART IT* SACRED HISTORY* 363
falling in with it also, contrived how to advance Abi-
melech. And because money is said to answer all
things, they stuck not to give him some of their sacred
treasure out of the house of their god, Baal*berith ;
wherewith he hired vain and light persons, dissolute
fellows, to attend him. And with these ruffians speed-
ing to his father's house at Ophrah, he seized on his
brethren, the sons of Jerub-baal, who were seventy
in number, and slew them all upon one stone ; except
the youngest, whose name was Jotham, and who es-
caped that slaughter by hiding himself.
The Shechemites, now holding themselves safe from
any danger or opposition from Gideon's house, grew
bolder, and gathering themselves together, with all the
forces of Miilo (or the fortress) set up Abimelech for
their king. Which when young Jotham understood,
he went to the top of Mount Gerizim, where he might
be both well seen and heard, and yet be out of their
reach ; and from thence, with a loud voice calling unto
the Shechemites, he said, 4 Hearken unto me, ye men
of Shechem; that God may hearken unto you.' By
which solemn address having engaged their attention,
he delivered his mind to them, in this witty and signi-
ficant apologue :*
The trees, said he, went forth to anoint a king over
them ; and the first choice they made was of the olive,
to which they offered the crown, saying, Reign over
us. But the olive refused it, saying, Should I leave
my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and
man, and go to be promoted over the trees ?
Upon this refusal of the ^ollve, they tendered the
government to the fig-tree. But the fig-tree, not wil-
ling to part with its sweetness and good fruit, declined
it also.
Thereupon they present it to the vine. But the
vine, preferring its delicious wine to the gaudy trouble
of government, chose to continue its private and quiet
estate.
Hitherto the trees had cast their choice upon the
richest and most reputable of their company : but hav-
* A. M. 2768.
364 SACRED HISTORY. PART II.
ing thus been the third time repulsed, they resolved
now to make the offer, where in all likelihood it
would not be rejected : and therefore, with one con-
sent, they pitched upon the bramble, or thistle j say-
ing, c Come thou, and reign over us.'
The bramble, without any compliment or ceremony,
readily accepted the offer ; but wished them to be in
earnest, letting them know what otherwise they must
trust to. 4 If in truth, said he, ye anoint me king
over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow ;
but if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and de-
vour the cedars of Lebanon.'
By which apt parable, having represented to the
Sheche mites how his father Jerub-baal, when the men
(not of Sheche m only, but) of Israel, had offered to
settle the government upon him and his posterity in
tail, did, like the olive, fig, and vine, bravely refuse
it ; and that they had now cast it upon one, as much
inferior in virtue, worth, and honour, to Gideon and
his lawful sons, as the bramble is to the olive, fig-tree,
or vine ; he expostulated the injury done to his fami-
ly, and thus laid their ingratitude before them :
4 Now therefore, said he, if ye have done truly and
sincerely, in that ye have made Abimelech king; and
if ye have dealt well with Jerub-baal and his house, ac-
cording to what he deserved of you (for my father
fought for you, and adventured his life to the utmost,
and delivered you out of the hand of Midian ; and
yet, notwithstanding all that, ye are risen up against
my father's house this day, and have slain his sons,
so that of seventy persons, I only, by providence,
have escaped you ; and ye have made Abimelech, the
son of his hand-maid, king over the men of Shechem ;
not for his virtue, but because he is your brother).
If, I say, ye have dealt truly and sincerely with Je-
rub-baal, and with his house this day ; then rejoice in
Abimelech, and let him rejoice in you. But if not, then
let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the
men of Shechem, and the house of Millo;: and let
fire come also out of the men of Shechem, and from
the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech.*
PART II. SACRED HISTORY- 365
When Jotham had thus delivered himself, knowing
there could be no safety for him any where within
Abimelech's reach, he fled to Beet : which some guess
to be a village in the tribe of Simeon. But if Abi-
melech was king over Israel at large (as the text inti-
mates, ver. 22) Jotham could hardly have been safe,
if known to be in any of the tribes.
But wherever Jotham's sanctuary was, it was not
long ere the curse he had denounced upon Abimelech
and the Shechemites, brake forth indeed between
them as a devouring fire.
For when Abimelech had reigned three years, God
sent an evil spirit between him and the men of Shechem,
by which they were stirred up to deal treacherously
with him ; and he roughly with them. And this was
brought to pass, that the cruelty done to the sons of
Jerub-baal might be avenged, and their blood be laid
upon Abimelech, their brother, that slew them ; and
upon the men of Shechem, who aided him in the killing
of them. Which shews that Jotham did not speak at
random.
At first the Shechemites wrought privily against
Abimelech, appointing some to lie in wait for him on
the top of the mountains, where he used to resort ;
that they might kill, or at least seize on him. But
this design being discovered to Abimelech, he escaped
them. Whereupon they turning highwaymen, robbed
all passengers.
This did not answer the Shechemites' end. Where-
fore they entertained in their service one Gaal, the
son of Ebed, who came to Shechem with a band of
men that were his brethren or kindred, and the men
of Shechem put their confidence in him. And think-
ing themselves safe under his conduct, they went out
boldly into the fields to gather and press their grapes.
And making songs in praise of Gaal, they went into
the house of their god ; where they did eat and drink,
and curse Abimelech.
Puffed up with this popular breath, Gaal began to
look and talk big, speaking conlem^tiblv not only of
2 G 2
366 SACRED HIST0R7. PART II.
Abimelech, but of Jerub-baal also, and wishing the
people were wholly at his command that he might re-
move Abimelech. And turning his speech (by a figure
called apostrophe) to Abimelech, as if he had been pre-
sent, he foolishly cried out, ' Increase thine army, and
come forth.'
Zebul was governor of Shechem at that time for
Abimelech, who having heard Gaal's insolent speeches,
and being thoroughly warmed therewith, sent messen-
gers privately to Abimelech, who then dwelt at Am-
man, otherwise called Tormah, and acquainted him
that Gaal, with his brethren, being come to Shechem,
began to fortify the city against him. Wherefore he
advised him to come with his forces by night, and lie
in wait in the fields ; and early in the morning, when
Gaal and his followers should come out, set upon them
and take the city.
Abimelech, following Zebul' s counsel, came forward
with his men by night ; and disposed them in four com-
panies, at such a distance from the city, that they might
not be discerned. And when Gaal went out to the city-
gate, early in the morning, Abimelech and his men,
being risen up from lying in wait, were coming down
towards the city. Gaal therefore seeing them move
at a distance, told Zebul the governor, that there came
people down from the top of the mountains. Zebul
understood it well enough ; yet partly to amuse Gaal,
and partly to deride him, answered, ' Thou seest the
shadow of the mountains, as if they were men.' Gaal
would not be so put off: but looking more earnestly,
shewed Zebul where the people came down ; some in
one company, and some in another. Zebul seeing
them now so near, that there was no danger in owning
it, laughed Gaal to scorn ; asking him in derision,
1 Where is now thy mouth, wherewith thou saidst,
Who is Abimelech that we should serve him? Is not
this the people that thou hast despised ? Go out, I pray
thee now, and fight with them.' Gaal having no
other remedy, led <gst the men of Shechem ^o fight
with Abimelech; At was soon overthrown, put to
PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 36/
flight, and chased to the gate : but Zebul would not
suffer him nor his men to enter Shechem again.
On the morrow, ©thers of the city going forth into
the fields, Abimelech falling on them, slew them.
And when he had fought all day against the city,
he at length took it : and having slain the people that
were in it, he beat down the city : and to express his
detestation of it, he sowed it with salt.
They who were in the tower of Shechem, seeing the
city thus destroyed, thought themselves hardly safe
there ; and therefore went into a strong hold or for-
tress belonging to the house of their god, Berith.
Which when Abimelech understood, he took an axe in
his hand, and bidding all the people that were with him
follow him, and do as they saw him do, he went up to
Mount Zalmon, where grew a grove of trees ; and
cutting down a bough, took it on his shoulder, and
brought it down to the hold. The rest of the people
following his direction and example, brought every
one his bough, and laying them about the hold, set it
on fire : by which means all the people that were in it,
being about a thousand men and women, were de-
stroyed.
Lifted up with success, Abimelech went to another
city, called Thebez ; against which he encamped, and
took it. But there being a strong tower within the
city, the people, both men and women, fled generally
thither ; and shutting themselves in, got them up to
the top of the tower.
Abimelech, pursuing his own destruction, came
unto the tower, and fought against it : but pressing
hard unto the door of the tower to have set it on fire,
a woman from above cast down a piece of a millstone
upon his head, which brake his skull. He feeling
himself mortally wounded, called hastily to his armour-
bearer, and said, c Draw thy sword and slay me ; that
men say not of me, a woman slew him:' whereupon
his armour-bearer thrust him through, that he died.
And when his army saw that he was dead, they dis-
persed themselves.*
* A. M. 2T71.
368 SACRED HISTORY. PART II.
Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech,
which he did to his father, in slaying his brethren,
upon his own head. And all the evil of the men of
Shechem did God render upon their heads also. And
upon them both came the curse of Jotham, the son cf
Jerub-baal, or Gideon.
This Abimelech, no better than he was, is reckoned
among the Judges ;* and to have ruled Israel three
years. After whose death, Tola, a man of Issachar,
arose to defend Israel, and he judged Israel three and
twenty years ; and yet nothing is recorded that he did
in that time: to whom succeeded J air, a Gileadite,
who judged Israel two and twenty years. And all the
account we have of him is, that he had thirty sons,
who rode upon thirty ass-colts, to distinguish them
from the common people ; and each of them had a city
or village to himself, which were called the villages of
air, Judg. x.f
In so long a time since Gideon's death great corrup-
tions were crept in ; and the children of Israel did
evil again in the sight of the Lord: for they served
Baalim and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the
gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods
of the children of Amnion, and the gods of the Phi-
listines ; and they forsook the Lord, and served not
him.
This highly provoked the Lord, so that his anger
was hot against Israel-, and he sold them into the
hands of the Philistines, and of the children of Am-
mon, who vexed and oppressed them eighteen years,
even all the children of Israel that were on the other
side of Jordan, in the land of the Amorites, which is
in Gilead. And in the last year, the children of Am-
nion passed over Jordan to fight against Judah, and
against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim :
so that Israel was sore distressed.
In this distress the children of Israel crying unto
the Lord, said, l V/e have sinned against thee, both
in that we have forsaken thee, our God, and also serv-
ed Baalim.5
* A. M- 2794. t A- M; 2816«
PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 369
The Lord hereupon took occasion to enter into a
close expostulation with Israel, recounting to them
the many deliverances he had given them : l Yet, said
he, ye have forsaken me, and served other gods....
Wherefore I will deliver you no more,' that is, unless
ye put away your strange gods, and turn to me with
unfeigned repentance. . And to make them the more
sensible of their folly, as well as wickedness, in for-
saking him who had so often helped them, and in fall-
ing down to such senseless stocks, as could help
neither them nor themselves, he bid them ' Go cry to
the gods which ye have chosen, and let them, said he,
deliver you in the time of your tribulation.'
This sharp reproof pierced the poor Israelites to the
heart ; so that humbling themselves before the Lord,
they said again, 4 We have sinned : do thou unto us
whatsoever seemeth good unto thee ; only deliver us,
we pray thee, this day.' Neither did they make con-
fession only in words, but in practice reformed : for
they put away the strange gods from among them, and
served the Lord. Whereupon he commiserated the
condition of his people, and appointed them means to
effect their deliverance.
There was in that half tribe of Manasseh, which
settled on the other side Jordan, a man of note
amongst his people, whose name was Gilead, of the
posterity of that Gilead, the son of Machir, unto
whom Moses gave the city of Gilead, Numb, xxxii.
4; from whence that family was called Gileadites,
Judg. xii. ,
This Gilead had divers sons by his wife ; but he
had one son by an harlot, whom he named Jephthah.
And when his lawful sons were grown up, they thrust
out Jephthah ; telling him, he should have no inherit-
ance among them, not being born in lawful matrimony.
Whereupon Jephthah flying from his brethren, went
and dwelt in the land of Tob, which signifies good-
ness, as Jephthah signifies opening; and being a bold
young man, a company of vain fellows flocked to him,
and went along with him.
370 SACRED HISTORTi PART Ifi
After some time the children of Amnion making
war against Israel, the elders of Gilead wanting a
general, and knowing Jephthah to be a man of great
valour, went to him at Tob ; and offering him the
command of their army, desired him to come and be
captain-general of their forces, that under his conduct
they might fight with Amnion.
Jephthah surprised with this sudden change, asked
them, c Did not ye hate me, and expel me out of my
father's house ? and why are ye come to me now, when
ye are in distress V
They plainly acknowledging that it was their dis-
tress that had moved them to come to him, said,
4 Therefore we turn again to thee now, that thou
mayest go with us, and fight against the children of
Amnion, and be our head over all the inhabitants of
Gilead.'
But, said Jephthah, willing to be on sure terms, If
ye bring me home again to fight for you, against the
children of Amnion, and the Lord deliver them before
me, shall I be your head, or chief ruler afterwards ?
They solemnly engaging that he should, and calling
God to witness upon it, Jephthah thereupon went with
them; and the people made him head or captain over
them ; Jephthah repeating the covenant of agreement
that was made between them before the Lord in Miz-
peh.
The government being thus settled upon him, he
forthwith sent messengers to the king of Ammon, to
demand the reason why he was come to make war in
his land. To which the Ammonitish king answered,
that the land was his ; that Israel when they came up
out of Egypt, had taken it away from his people the
Ammonites ; that therefore he was come to demand
and recover his right, unless Jephthah would restore
it peaceably.
Jephthah hereupon, by messengers which he sent to
him again, opened the whole matter to him from the
beginning, that he might see his error ; shewing him,
that Israel took not the land in question from the
PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 371
Ammonites ; nor had indeed any thing to do with
them. But that having in their travel from Egypt
desired passage through the countries of Edom and
Moab, and being denied by the king of each, they
were forced to fetch a great compass, till they came to
the land of the Amorites ; of whom also they prayed
passage. But Sihon the Amoritish king, not only op-
posed their passage, but with all his forces setupon them.
Whereupon it coming to a pitched battle, the Lord
God of Israel delivered Sihon, and all his people, into
the hand of Israel, and they smote them ; by which
means Israel came to possess all the land of the Amo-
rites, even whatsoever Sihon was possessed of: and
he having before taken from the king of Moab the land
now in question, Numb, xxi, ver. 26, that fell with
the rest by conquest from the Amorite to Israel.
Jephthah having thus shewed that Israel took noth-
ing from Ammon or Moab, but from the Amorites,
whom the Lord God of Israel had dispossessed before
his people, thus reasons with the Ammonitish king:
■ Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh thy god
giveth thee to possess ? So whomsoever the Lord our
God shall drive out before us, them will we possess.'
Then confirming Israel's title by along prescription
of about three hundred years peaceable enjoyment ;
he concluded thus : ' Wherefore I have not sinned
against thee ; but thou dost wrong me, in making war
against me : the Lord, the judge, be judge this day
between the children of Israel and the children of Am-
mon.'
The Ammonitish king not yielding to Jephthah's
reasons, but persisting in his claim, the spirit of the
Lord came upon Jephthah, by which animated, he
marched out against the children of Ammon, who
were ready in arms^to receive him.
But before he joined battle with them, he vowed a
vow unto the Lord, saying, c If thou shalt without
fail deliver the children of Ammon into my hands,
then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth out of
»he doors of my house to meet me, when I return in
372 SACRED HISTORY. PART IT.
peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be
the Lord's, 4 or I will offer it up for a burnt offering.'
So I read it, according to the margin, rather than c and,'
as it stands in the text, for reasons which shall be given
by and by.
This vow thus made for good success, Jephthah
joined battle with the Ammonites, and the Lord de-
livered them into his hands ; so that he smote them
with a very great slaughter, took twenty cities from
them, and subdued them before the children of Israel.
After which, returning to his house at Mizpeh, who
should be the first that came forth to meet him, but
his own only daughter j who, to congratulate his vie*
tory and safe return, came out to him with music and
dancing ; and she was indeed his only child.
But when he saw her, he rent his clothes, and cried
out, * Alas ! my daughter, thou hast brought me very
low ; and thy coming (at this time) is a trouble to
me : for I have opened my mouth unto the Lord, and
I cannot go back.'
4 Well, my father, said the damsel, forasmuch as
the Lord hath taken vengeance for thee of thine ene-
mies, the children of Ammon ; if thou hast opened
thy mouth unto the Lord, do to me according to that
which hath proceeded out of thy mouth, only, added
she, grant me this request, let me alone (leave me at
liberty) two months, that I may go up and down upon
the mountains, and bewail my virginity with my com-
panions.' Which being granted her, she went, and at
the end of the two months returned unto her father,
who did with her according to his vow : and she knew
no man, that is, she never married. And it became a
custom in Israel, that the daughters of Israel went
yearly four days in a year to discourse with the daugh-
ter of Jephthah.
Jephthah has undergone much censure from many,
and some of great name, for making this vow, which
they call unlawful, and more for performing it ; upon
a supposition, that he did actually sacrifice his daugh-
ter, by offering her as a burnt offering upon the altar <
PART II, SACRED HISTORY. 385
valuing fifteen pence, would amount to about three
hundred forty-three pounds, and fifteen shillings.
So great a bait easily prevailed with the woman, to
do her endeavour to betray Samson. Wherefore when
she had him by herself, she said unto him, c Tell me,
I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and
wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee.' He,
willing to put her by, without discovering the ground
of his strength, told her, if they bound him with seven
new withs, that had never been dried, then he should
be weak, and as another man.
She forthwith imparting this to the lords of the Phi-
listines, they brought her seven such withs, and she
bound him with them. And then, having men lying
in wait in the house ready to seize upon him, she said
hastily to him, * The Philistines be upon thee Samson.'
At which word, he starting up, on a sudden brake the
withs, as easily as a thread of tow is broken v/hen it
toucheth the fire. So that it was not yet known in
what his strength lay.
Delilah, thus disappointed, charged him with having
mocked her, and told her lies ; and therefore desired
him now to tell her truly, wherewith he might be
bound. He put her by again, by telling her that if
they bound him with new ropes, that had never been
used, he should be weak and as other men. She tried,
getting new ropes, and binding him therewith. But
when she waked him on a sudden, by telling him the
Philistines were upon him, he snapped the ropes from
off his arms like a thread.
Then she complained to him again, that hitherto he
had but mocked her, and deceived her by falsehoods :
wherefore she intreated him to tell her now indeed,
with what he might be bound. He again to shift her,
that she might not discover wherein his strength lay,
directed her to weave the seven locks of his head with
a web (which word bespeaks it to be a weaver's house);
she did so, fastening his hair, so platted together, with
the pin of the loom : and then crying out ' The Phi-.
vol. i. . 2 I
3S6 SACRED HISTORY. PART II,
Hstines be upon thee Samson ;' he, leaping up out of
his sleep, went away with the pin of the beam and the
web hanging at>his locks.
He was wont to tell her he loved her ; with which
she now upbraiding him, asked him, how he could
say he loved her, seeing his heart was not with her.
For, said she, thou hast deluded me these three times,
and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth ;
though *hou madest me believe thou wouldest.
Thus pressing him daily with her importunities, and
urging him till he was weary of his life, he at length
opened his heart to her, and told her, there had never
yet come a razor upon his head; for he had been
a Nazarite unto Cod from his mother's womb, and
that if he should be shaven his strength would go from
him, and he should become weak like another man.
Now knew Delilah that she had obtained her end of
him. Wherefore she sent for the lords of the Philis-
tines to come to her this one time more : letting them
know, he had now discovered the whole secret to her.
They hastened to her, with the money in their
hands ; and she, having lulled him to sleep in her lap^
caused a man (whom she had provided for that pur-
pose) to shave off the seven locks of his head. Which
done, she began to afflict him $ telling him, the Philis-
tines were upon him. He thereupon, waking out of
his sleep, said, ' I will go forth, as I used to do, and
shake myself f not witting that the Lord was departe4
from him, till he found his strength was gone.
The Philistines seeing him now really disabled,
seized immediately on him ; and to make sure of him,
the first thing they did was to put out his eyes. Then
bringing him down to Gaza, they bound him now in
earnest with fetters of brass, and putting him into the
prison-house (or bridewell) they there made him grind.
After some time the lords of the Philistines gather-
ed their people together, to offer a great sacrifice to
Dagon their god, and to rejoice. This Dagon, being
the common god of the sea-coasts, had the form of a
jnan from the naval upwards ; and downwards of a
PART If. SACRED HISTORY* $87
fish, from which the word is derived. And to him
these lords of the Philistines ascribed the delivery of
Samson into their hands. Nor they only, but the rest
of the people also praising their god Dagon, said, ' Our
god hath delivered into our hands our enemy; the
destroyer of our country, wTho slew many of us.'
When they had feasted awhile, and their hearts were
merry, they said one to another, * Call for Samson,
that he may make us sport.' Whereupon Samson was
brought forth out of the prison, and being set between
two of the pillars which supported the house where they
were, they made themselves sport wTith him.
At this solemnity were present, not only all the lords*
of the Philistines, but the house full of men and women.
And because the house was not capacious enough to
receive the company, about three thousand men and
women had placed themselves upon the rOof of the
house, to behold the sport that was made with Samson.
By this time Samson's hair was somewhat grown
again. And as it is probable his strength might begin to
return, so it is not to be doubted that these indigni-
ties would raise in his spirit the highest indignation.
Wherefore having persuaded the lad that led him, to
set him so that he might feel the pillars whereon the
house stood, on pretence of leaning upon them to rest
him, he called in spirit unto the Lord, and said, • O
Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen
me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be
at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.'
He then took hold of the two middle pillars, which
bore up the house, one with his right hand and the
other with his left hand, and bowing himself with all
his might, that he might exert his utmost strength, he
said, 4 Let me die with the Philistines.' And with
that word, removing those two pillars, the house fell
down upon the lords, and upon all the people that were
therein ; l so that they which he slew at his death,
were more than they which he slew in his life.'
This was the end of Samson, who is said to have
judged Israel twenty years ; and was rather indeed a
388 SACRED HISTORY. PART IT*
scourge to the Philistines, than a deliverer of the Is-
raelites. Yet he may be said to have begun to deliver
Israel ;' 'which is as much as the angel, before he was
conceived, foretold he should do.
When his brethren heard of his death, they, with all
ihe house of his father, came down and took him ;
and having brought him up, buried him between Zorah
and Eshtacl, in the* bury mg-place of Manoah his fa-
ther.
'HE END OF THE gOOSt OF JUDGES.
THE
JTttstEoofc of Samuel;
CONTAINING AN HISTORY OF SIXTY OR EIGHTY YEARS '.
I SAY SIXTY OR EIGHTY ; BECAUSE THOUGH FORTY
YEARS BE ALLOTTED TO ELI, AND FORTY TO SAMUEL
AND SAUL, YET TWENTY OUT OF ELl's FORTY ARE BY
MOST CHRONOLOGERS GIVEN TO SAMSON, WHOSE
STORY IS DELIVERED BEFORE.
After the death of Samson, who is accounted the
last of the extraordinary judges, the administration
of the government, in the Israelitish commonwealth,
seems to have devolved upon Eli, who was then the high
priest ; unless we should rather say, it revolved or re-
turned to Eli, as high priest, to whom, in the ordinary
course of -magistracy among the Israelites, it belonged
during those twenty years wherein Samson is said to
have judged Israel.
In this Eli's time was born the prophet Samuel, the
son of Elkanah, a Levite descended from that Korah,
who in Moses' time, for his rebellion in the wilder-
ness, was swallowed up by the gaping earth, and all he
had with him, Numb, xvi, except his sons, Numb.
xxvi. 11 ; from the eldest of which, named Assir, the
genealogy is drawn down to Samuel, in 1 Chron. vi,
from ver. 22 to 28.
This Elkanah had two wives, Hannah and Pcninnah.
Peninnah had children, sons and daughters ; but Han-
nah, to her great grief, had none.
2 I 2
390 SACRED HISTORY. PART II.
Once a year Elkanah went up out of his city to wor-
ship and sacrifice unto the Lord of Hosts in Shiloh ;
taking with him his two wives and children. And
when he had made his oiferings, he gave portions to
Peninnah, and to all her children ; but to Hannah he
gave a double portion, because he loved her best.
Watchful Peninnah, observing that, grew emulous;
and, to revenge herself, provoked and vexed Hannah,
by upbraiding her with her barreness. This so troub-
led poor Hannah, that she wept, and did not eat :
which her kind husband taking notice of, asked her,
* Hannah, why weepest thou ? Why eatest thou not?
And why is thy heart grieved ?' And supposing the
cause, added, 4 Am not I better to thee than ten sons V
1 Sam. i.*
Hannah, not returning answer, rose up after they
had eaten in Shiloh ; and in the bitterness of her soul,
poured forth her prayer unto the Lord with sore weep-
ing. And she vowed a vow, saying, 4 O Lord of
Hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of
thine handmaid, and remember me, and will give unto
thine handmaid a man-child, then will I give him unto
the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no
razor come upon his head.' That is, he should be a
Nazarite, devoted to the Lord.
This Hannah spake in her heart, not uttering her
voice, but only moving her lips. Which Eli the priest,
who sat upon a seat by a post of the house of the Lord,
where the ark then was kept, observing, and thinking
she had been drunk, reproved her, saying, c How long
wilt thou be drunk ? Put away thy wine from thee.'
But Hannah mildly answered, ' No, my lord, I am
a woman of a sorrowful spirit : I have drank neither
wine, nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul
before the Lord. Count not thine handmaid for a
daughter of Belial ; for out of the abundance of my
complaint and grief have I spoken.'
Eli, now finding he had been under a mistake, turn-
ed his reproof into a blessiag ; saying unto her, 4 Go
* A. M. 2SG0.
PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 391
in peace ; and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition,
which thou hast asked of him.' She begging the con-
tinuance of his prayers for her, went cheerfully away.
Early next morning they arose, and having worship-
ed the Lord, they returned to their house at Ramah.
And the Lord remembered her, so that she conceived,
and in due time was brought to bed of a son ; whom
she named Samuel, that is, asked of God.
The next year Elkanah went up again with his family
to offer unto the Lord the yearly sacrifice, and to con-
firm his vow, concerning the dedication of Samuel to
God ; which shews he was privy, and made himself a
party, to his wife's vow.
But Hannah, being a nurse, desired her husband to
excuse her from going up until the child should be
weaned, and then she would go up with him, that he
might appear before the Lord, and abide in his service
for ever. Which good intention her husband approv-
ing, consented that she should tarry with the child un-
til she had weaned him ; praying that the Lord would
establish his word concerning him : which implies,
that the Lord, upon Hannah's praying for a son, and
vowing to dedicate him to the Lord, had foretold some
great good concerning him.
Now when Hannah had weaned her little Samuel,
she took him up with her (young as he was) to the
yearly sacrifice, with three bullocks, an ephah of flour,
and a bottle of wine. And having brought him to the
house of the Lord in Shiloh, they slew a bullock ; and
then bringing the child to Eli, she told him she was
the woman that at such a time stood by him there,
praying unto the Lord.
c It was for this child, said she, that I then prayed :
and the Lord hath given me my petition, which I ask-
ed of him. Therefore, added she, I have returned him
to the Lord ; as long as he liveth he^shall be returned
to the Lord. And he worshipped the Lord there,'
saith the text; but without certainty which he it v/as,
whether Eli or Samuel. Some annotators say it was
Eli, who gave thanks to the Lord for having heard
392 SACRED HISTORY. PART II.
and graciously answered Hannah's petition. Others
say it was Samuel, who, as he was instructed, bowed
before the Lord : and the word translated worshiped,
signifies to bow. However it was, devout Hannah
brake forth into a triumphant song, composed of
praises, thanksgivings and prayer : which read in
chap, ii, ver. 1 to 11.
The solemnity being over, and Elkanah with his
family ready to depart, Eli the priest pronounced a
solemn blessing upon him and his wife Hannah, say-
ing, ' The Lord give thee seed of this woman, for
the loan which is lent to the Lord,' meaning Samuel,
1 Sam. ii.
Him, at their departure, they left behind them with
Eli ; and he being girded with a linen ephod, did
minister before the Lord, as Eli directed him. And
once a year, when his mother came up with her hus-
band, to offer the yearly sacrifice, she made him a little
coat, and brought it him. ' And the child Samuel,
the text says, grew before the Lord.' Which manner
of speech may well be supposed to have respect, not
only to a natural growth in bodily stature, but (and
perhaps more especially) to an inward growth of divine
graces, and excellent endowments of mind necessary
to fit and qualify him for the service he was devoted to.
And since Hannah, after her long barrenness, had
modestly asked but one son, and that, that she might
dedicate him to God, the Lord was pleased to visit
her again, so that she conceived and bare three sons
more, and two daughters besides, to be with her, and
to be a comfort to her.
Eli himself had two sons, Hophni and Phinehas,
grown up to be men ; and both lewd young men, who
regarded not the Lord j but bearing themselves high
upon the authority of the priesthood, domineered over
the men, and denied the women.
And to such a pass they had brought things, that
they would neither be content with the part or portion
which God had assigned them, of the flesh of the sa-
crifice, nor stay the time appointed for them to receive
I' HIT it. SACKED HlSTOllY. 395
it ; but they would both be their own carvers, and in
their own time : so that when any man offered sacri-
fice, the priest's sen-ant came, white the flesh was in
seething, with a trident or flesh-hook of three teeth in
his head, and striking it into the cauldron amongst the
flesh, all that the flesh-hook brought up, the priest took
for himself: and thus they did in Shiloh unto all the
Israelites that came thither.
Besides, when the priest's palate was more for roast
than bci'ed, his servant would come before the fat was
burnt, and say to the men that sacrificed, * Give flesh
to roast for the priest : for he will not have sodden
fiesli of thee, but raw.' This was directly contrary to
the law. Yet if any man did but say, Let them burn
the fat first, and then take as much as thou pleasest;
the priest's servant would answer, ; Nay, but thou
shalt give it me now : and if not, I will take it by force.'
Thus did these swaggering priests oppress the peo-
ple, and transgress the law of God, whereby they be-
gat in the people a dislike to the service of the Lord,
so that they had no mind to offer at all. This made
the sin of the priests very great before the Lord: wrhich
yet did not excuse the people from being also guilty,
in neglecting the service of the Lord.
By this time Eli was grown very old. And though
he heard all that his sons did unto all Israel, and how
they lay withthe women that assembled at the door
of the tabernacle of the congregation, yet he did not
restrain, nor punish them, as he, being not only their
father, but the chief magistrate, ought to have done....
See Deut. xxi, ver. 13, 19, 20, 21. But in a sort of
easy way, he said to them, c Why do ye such things ?
for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people....
Nay, my sons : for it is no good report that I hear :
ye make the Lord's people to transgress. If one man
sin against another, the judge shall judge him : but if
a man sin against the Lord, who shall intreat for him ?'
This light reproof they as lightly regarded ; for they
had provoked the Lord to harden them to destruc-
tion.
394 SACRED HISTOR'f. PART XI.
Then came a man of God to Eli, with this message j
* Thus saith the Lord, did I plainly appear unto the
house of thy father (to wit, Aaron) when they were
in Egypt in bondage to Pharaoh ? And did I choose
him of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer
upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod
before me ? And did I give unto the house of thy
father all the offerings made by fire of the children of
Israel ? Why then do ye kick at my sacrifice, and at
mine offering, which I have commanded in mine
habitation ? And why honourest thou thy sons above
me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of the of-
ferings of Israel my people ?' Whence it is observa-
ble, that in the judgment of God, they that indulge
their children in that which offends God, honour them
above him.
Having thus set forth the Lord's beneficence to-
wards Eli's house, and his and his sons' ingratitude,
the man of God proceeded to denounce the divine
sentence against them ; first more generally thus :
' Wherefore the God of Israel saith, I said indeed
(to wit, at the first institution of the priesthood,
Exod. xxviii. 43, and xxxix. 9) that thy house, and
the house of thy father, should walk before me (viz*
in the priesthood) forever: but now the Lord saith,
Be it far from me ; for them that honour me I will
honour, and them that despise me shall be lightly
esteemed.' Whence again we may observe, that the
indulging of children in their evil courses, to the dis-
honour of God, and contempt of his service, is ac-
counted by God a despising of him.
From this general, the man of God goes on to de-
nounce a more particular judgment upon Eli and his
house. c Behold (said he, in the name of the Lord)
the days come that I will cut off thine arm (thy
strength, by which thou shouldest help thyself) and
(not only thy arm, who art an old and-worn out man,
but) the arm of thy father's house ; -that henceforth
there shall not be an old man in thy house forever....
(And that, as old as he was, he might expect to see
>AJIT II. SACRED HISTORY. 395
the accomplishment of this sentence in his own life-
time, he added) And thou shalt see an enemy in my
habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Is-
rael (or instead of all the good which God would have
done to Israel), And the man of thjne, whom I shall
not cut off from mine altar, shall be to consume thine
eyes, and grieve thine heart ; and all the increase of
thy house shall die in the flower of their age. And
this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy
two sons., Hophni and Phinehas, in one day they shall
both die. And I will raise me up a faithful priest,
(viz. Zadok, 1 Kings ii. So) who shall do according
to that which is in my heart, and in my mind: and I
will build him a sure house ; and he shall walk before
mine anointed forever.' Then, to shew Eli the
wretched poverty that his posterity shall fall into, he
added, ' And it shall come to pass, that every one
that is left in thy house, shall come and crouch to him
(Zadok) for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread,
and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the
priests' offices, that I may have a piece of bread to
-eat.'
Who this man of God was, that brought this un-
welcome message to Eli, is very uncertain. Tremel-
lius and Junius, in their notes upon this 'place, take
him to be Samuel. But that seems not likely ; both
for that Samuel was then too young, and in the next
chapter is set forth as one not yet acquainted with the
voice of the Lord ,- and also for that the Lord, when
he had spoken to Samuel, tells him, as a thing he
knew not of before, that he had denounced a judg-
ment against Eli and his house. Certain it is, that it
was a dark time. There was no open vision, no cer-
tain known prophet, such as Moses had been before,
and as Samuel, Nathan, Elijah, and others were after*
wards : but the word of the Lord was precious, that
is, rare, and seldom heard in those days.
Eli now grown very old, his eyes began to wax dim,
so that he could see but little. And one night, being
gone to rest in his place, which was in that part of the
court of the Lord's house which was next the taberna*
'596 SACRED HISTORY. PART II.
cle, and where the priests' chambers were, before the
lamp of God went out in the morning, that is, before
day, the Lord called Samuel ; who was also in bed in
his apartment, in the further part of the tabernacle,
where the Levites had their lodgings, 1 Sam. iii.
Samuel, hearing himself called, answered, as the
manner was, ' Here am I :' and starting up, ran to
Eli, as supposing he had called him. But v/hen Eli
told him he had not called him, he went and lay down
again.
He had not lain long ere the Lord called him again,
Whereupon, as before, he got up, and went to Eli, and
said, 4 Here am I : for thou didst call me.' But Eli
told him he called him not ; and bid him go and lie
down again.
Samuel was young, supposed to be about twelve
years old, and did not so know the Lord, as to have
the word of the Lord revealed unto him. And Eli
was not so regardful of the Lord's appearance, as his
years and station required him to be : else he might
sooner have understood that it was the Lord that called
Samuel.
Scarce was Samuel well settled in his bed, when the
Lord called him again the third time. Upon which
the diligent child, not discouraged by his two former
disappointments, arose and went again to Eli, and
said, ' Here I am : for thou didst call me.' This
third summons roused dull Eli, and gave him to per-
ceive that the Lord had called the child. Which his
apprehension he imparted to Samuel ; and bidding
him go to bed again, directed him, that if the Lord
should call him again, he should say, ' Speak, Lord :
for thy servant hearetn.'
By that time Samuel was composed to rest, the Lord
came and stood (a phrase used to reach man's low ca-
pacity) and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel.
Whereupon Samuel, as Eli had instructed him, rea-
dily answered : ' Speak, for thy servant heareth.'
Then said the Lord to Samuel, c Behold, I will do
a thing in Israel^at which both the ears of every one
that heareth it, shall tingle. In that day I will pei form
1'ART II. SACRED HISTORY. 409
What have we, said he to his servant, to make a pre-
sent for the man of God ? for our provisions are spent.
The servant having searched his purse, told his
master he had found there the fourth part of a shekel
of silver ; and he was willing to give the man of God
that, to tell them their way.
That was but a very small sum, not above three-
pence three farthings ; yet that, it seems, was more
than his master, as near to the. kingdom as he was, had
about him : and Saul being glad to hear of that, said
to his servant, well said, come, let us go ; and on
they went towards the city where the man of God
dwelt.
As they went up the hill that led to the city, they
met young maidens going out to draw water ; of whom
they inquired if the seer were there. For beforetime
in Israel when a man would go to inquire of God, he
used to say, come, and let us go to the seer: for he
that was in after times called a prophet, was in former
times called a seer.
The maidens told them he was there, being come
thither but that day to a solemn feast of the people in
the high place ; and that if they made haste, they
might straightway find him, before he had went to the
high place to eat : for the people would not eat until
fee was come, and blessed the feast.
With this information, Saul and his servant went
on ; and when they were come into the city, Samuel
came out and met them, as he was going up to the
high place.. For the Lord had revealed' to Samuel,
on the day before, that about that time next day he
would send him a man out of the land of Benjamin,
whom he should anoint captain over Israel. And
when Samuel now saw Saul, the Lord told him, * Be-
hold the man whom I spake to thee of: this same shall
reign over my people,'
Now when Saul was come up to Samuel, not know-
ing him, he inquired of him for the seer's house : and
Samuel told him, he was the seer. Then inviting him
vol. i. 2 L
410 SACRED HISTORY. PART II.
to eat with him that day, he bid him go up before him to
the high place : telling him, he would let him go to- !
morrow ; and would then tell him all that was in his
heart.
In the mean time he wished him not to trouble him^
self about the asses, for they were found. And to
give him at present a little touch of the main business,
he added; ' And on whom is all the desire of Israel?
Is it not on thee, and on all thy father's house V
Saul, seeming to wonder that he should speak after
that manner to him, desired him to consider that he
was a Benjamite, one of the smallest of the tribes of
Israel, at least since the slaughter that had been made
upon them in the Levite's case, Judg. xx, and his
family the least of all the families of that tribe.
This discourse Samuel brake off, by taking Saul and
his servant into the parlour with him. Where setting
them down in the chief placev among them that were
invited to eat, which were about thirty persons, he bid
the cook bring that portion of meat which he had be-
fore ordered him to set by : who thereupon brought
forth the shoulder, and that which was upon it, proba-
bly the breast, those being the two joints allotted for
the priests and their families, Levit. x. 14, and set it
before Saul.
After they had eaten, and were come down from
the high place into the city, Samuel taking Saul up
upon the top of the house, which was made flat to
walk upon, had further communication with him that
evening. And early next morning calling him up,
that he might send him away, they went out together :
and as they were going down towards the end of the
city, Samuel bid Saul order his servant to pass on be-
fore, but stand still himself for a while, that he might
shew him what God had said concerning him.
As soon as the servant was gone out of sight, Samuel
taking a vial of oil, poured it upon the head of Saul,
And kissed him, which was a token of subjection and
homage to\him as his sovereign ; adding, that he did
this, because the Lord had anointed him to be captain
PART It. SACRED HISTORY* 411
over his inheritance. This is supposed to fall about
the thirtieth year of Samuel's government, 1 Sam. x.*
Then, to assure Saul that this thing was of the Lord,
Samuel told him divers particular passages that should
befall him that day, as he went home. As that he
should find two men by Rachel's sepulchre, who should
tell him the asses he went to seek were found, and his
father was now in great sorrow for him ; that when
he came to the plain of Tabor, there should meet him
three men, going up to God to Beth-el ; one carrying
three kids, another three loaves of bread, and the third
a bottle of wine ; and that they should salute him, and
give him two loaves of bread, which he should receive ;
and that after that he should meet a company of pro-
phets coming down from the high place, with a psalter,
and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp before them ; and
that they should prophesy ; and that the spirit of the
Lord should come upon him, and he should prophesy
with them and should be turned into another man.
* And, said Samuel, when the signs are come unto
thee, do thou as occasion shall serve thee, behave thy-
self like a king ; for God will be with thee.'
As soon as Saul had turned his back to go from
Samuel onward of his way, the Lord gave him another
heart : and all those signs, which Samuel had foretold
him, came to pass that day.
Now, though Samuel had thus anointed Saul pri-
vately, which no man knew of but themselves ; yet for
the general satisfaction of the people, and that the
choice and inauguration of their king might be public
and solemn, he called them together unto the Lord to
Mizpeh. To which place the ark of the Lord was
brought, and the priest was come with the Urim and
Thummim, that the choice might be openly made and
declared, by casting'of lots before the Lord.
When the people were come to Mizpeh, and Samuel
had again, in a short exprobatory speech, taxed them
with ingratitude to God, in rejecting him, who had
been their deliverer out of all their adversities and
* A. M. 2917.
413 SACRED HISTORY, PART II.
tribulations, and calling for a king to be set over them,
he bid them present themselves before the Lord by
their tribes, and by their thousands.
When therefore all the tribes of Israel were brought
near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken ; that is, the lot
fell upon that tribe. And when the tribe of Benjamin
came near by their families, the family of Matri was
taken j and in that family Saul the son of Kish was
taken. But though the lot fell on him they could not
find him : for he, sure before-hand of the office, had
absented himself.
Inquiring thereupon further of the Lord concerning
him, whether he would come or no : the answer was,
that he had hid himself among the stuff.
Thither then they ran to fetch him ; and having
brought and set him among them, he was higher than
all the people from the shoulders upwards. Which
Samuel observing to them, said, l See ye him whom
the Lord hath chosen (for though they chose a king,
the Lord chose the king) that there is none like him
amongst all the people :' at which the people gave a
general shout, and cried, c God save the king,' or may
the king live.
Then Samuel, as he had before told the people, chap,
viii. 11, what a king would do, now told them what
their king should or ought to do: he told them the
manner of the kingdom (probably out of Deut. xvii)
and he wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the
Lord. Which done, he dismissed the people.
Saul also went home to Gibeah : and a band of men,
whose hearts God had touched, and inclined thereunto,
waited on him home. But the children of Belial, the
mob, or more unruly part of the people, despised him,
saving, in contempt, 4 How shall this man save us V
Neither would they bring him any present, as an ac-
knowledgment that he was their king. However, he
discreetly overlooked it, as if he had not heard them.
By this time the messengers which the men of Ja-
besh-Gilead had sent abroad, to acquaint their brethren
with the distress they were in, were come to Gibeah of
PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 413
Saul, and had told the tidings in the ears of the peo-
ple : which made them all lift up their voices and weep.
Which when Saul observed, who at that time was
coming out of the field, and, notwithstanding his re-
galitv, driving an herd of cattle before him ; he asked,
What ailed the people, that they wept? And being
told the strait that the men of Jabesh were in, the
spirit of the Lord came upon him ; and his anger being
greatly kindled against the Ammonites, he took a yoke
of oxen, andhewing them in pieces, sentthem with speed
throughout all the coasts of Israel, with this short but
sharp message : * Whosoever cometh not forth after
Saul, and after Samuel, for the young king thought it'
adviseable to strengthen his authority with the name
* company of the old prophet, so shall it be done
his oxen,' 1 Sam. xi.
Hereupon the fear of the Lord fell upon the people,
and they came out as one man : so that when they
were mustered, the children of Israel were three hun-
dred thousand, and the men of Judah, who bordering
on the Philistines, could not so well spare men from
their frontiers, were thirty thousand.
When Saul and Samuel saw their strength, they bid
the messengers, which came from Jabesh-Gilead, go
back and tell their citizens, that to-morrow, by that
time the sun was hot, they should have help.
This good news made them glad. And that they
might contribute to their own deliverance, by making
the Ammonites secure, they sent them word, that to-
morrow they would come out to them, to be dealt with
as they pleased.
But on the morrow, Saul, having divided the people
into three companies, that he might give the onset in
three places, fell into the midst of the Am monkish
host in the morning watch, and slew them until the
heat of the day : and such of them as escaped the
slaughter, were so scattered that there were not two
of them left together.
This great victory, and so great a BeHvefance there-
by from so cruel and insulting a foe, was ah encourag?
2L 2
414 SACRED HISTORY". PART II.
ing beginning to the new king and his favourites ; some
of whom calling to remembrance that some others had
before spoken despitefully of Saul, said now to Samuel,
4 Who is he that said, shall Saul reign overtis? Bring
the men, that we may put them to death.' But*Saui
wisely and generously answered, ' There shall not a
man be put to death this day : for to-dav the Lord
hath wrought salvation inlsrael.' Implying that such
days, being times of festivity and joy, should not be
clouded with saddening executions.
Samuel, willing to take away all animosities from
among the people, and to give opportunity to those
who before had stood out, to come in now, and receive
Saul for their king, proposed to the people' that they
should go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom th|fe:
that is, proclaim their king there anew. Accordi^Py ..
to Gilgal all the people went, and there before -the
Lord they unanimously made Saul king: which done,
they sacrificed sacrifices of^eace offerings before the
Lord ; and both king and people rejoiced together
greatly.
But a little to allay their joy, Samuel took occasion
(some say here at Gilgal, others think before they
went from Jabesh) to expostulate again with them
with respect both to his own administration, while he
was in the government, and to their offence in altering
the government.
With respect to himself, he put them in mind, that
he had answered them in every thing they had asked
of him ; and, as they now saw, had made them a king,
according to their desire. And inasmuch as he himself
was now grown old and grey headed, and his sons were
not now over them, as heretofore, but with them as
fellow subjects to their king, there was nothing to awe
them ; but that they might freely impeach him if they
could, he having been conversant amongst them from,
very childhood.
As a challenge therefore to them all, to convict him,
if they could, he said, 'Behold here I am; witness
: t me before the Lord and before his anointed.
PART i;. SACRED HISTORY. 415
' Whose ox or ass have I taken, or whom have I de-
frauded ? Whom have I oppressed? Or of whom have
I received a bribe, to blind mine eyes therewith? And
I will restore it you,' 1 Sam. xii.
They answered, ' Thou hast not defrauded nor op-
pressed us ; neither hast thou taken aught of any
man's hand.' They might have reminded him of his
sons' taking bribes, and perverting judgment : but
since they knew he knew it, for they had told him of
it before, chap. viii. 3, they modestly forbore to re-
peat it.
Then calling God and the king to witness that they
had acquitted him, and they acknowledging it, he
went on to reason with them concerning the righteous
^fcjs of the Lord, which he had done to their fathers
JWra. to them ; recounting to them how the Lord had
advanced Moses and Aaron, and by their conduct had
brought up their fathers out of Egypt : that being pro-
voked by their disobedience to sell them into the hand
of Sisera, king Jabin's captain, and of the Philistines,
and of the king of Moab, when they repented, con-
fessed their sins, and cried unto the Lord, he delivered
them by Jerub-baal, whose proper name was Gideon,
and by Bedan, whom some take to be Samson, others
Jear, by Jephthah, and by himself. Notwithstanding
which, they no sooner saw Nahash the king of Ammon
coming against them, but they came unto him and told
him, they would have a king to reign over them, when
as the Lord their God was their rightful king.
Having thus briefly opened to them their offence,
he tells them, that notwithstanding all this, if they
will fear the Lord, and serve him, and obey his voice,
and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord,
both they, and also their king that reigned over them,
should continue following the Lord their God : but if
they will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel
against his commandment, then shall the hand of the
Lord be against them, as it was against their fathers.
And to assure them that he spake not this to thern of
his own head, or from a personal disgust, or offence of
416 SACRED HISTORY. ?ART II.
mind, but from the Lord, he told them the Lord would
give them a convincing evidence. P'or whereas it
was then wheat-harvest, and very fine harvest weather,
4 1 will call, said he, unto the Lord, and he will send
thunder and rain ; that you may see your wickedness
is great in the sight of the Lord, in asking you a king.'
Accordingly, upon Samuers praying, the Lord sent
thunder and rain that day ; which made the people
greatly fear the Lord and Samuel. And they came
all to Samuel, saying, 4 Pray for thy servants unto the
Lord thy God, that we die not: for unto all our sin*
we have added this evil, to ask us a king.'
Samuel exhorted them, that though they had done
amiss, yet they should not cease from following the
Lord ; but should serve the Lord with all their heajj^
and not turn aside after the gods of the nations; whrH
being but vain idols, could neither deliver nor profit
them. And withall he encouraged them not to des-
pair of mercy : for since it Had pleased the Lord to
make them his people, he would not forsake them, for
his great name's sake, if they did not forsake him....
As for himself, he assured them, that he would not
only incessantly pray for them, as he held it his duty
to do, but would teach them the good and right way :
which was to fear the Lord, and serve him in truth,
with all their heart; considering how great things he
had done for them. Yet that they might not grow too
secure, he left this lesson at parting: 4 But if ye shall
still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and
your king.'
Jonathan, the eldest son of Saul, was left, it seems,
to guard the frontiers, when his father went against
the Ammonites. And being a courageous prince, full
of youthful heat, and desirous of martial honoar, he
had fallen upon a garrison of the Philistines, planted
upon a neighbouring hill, and smitten them.
Of this the Philistines soon had notice, and resolv-
ing to revenge the injury, raised an army, consisting
of thirty thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen,
and an infinite number of foot : with which they came.
••
?ART Hi SACRED HISTORY. 41*
up, and pitched in Michmash eastward from Beth-
aven, to fight with Israel.
The Israelites also, having heard of this exploit of
Jonathan's, and how enraged the Philistines were for
that cause against them, were by sound of trumpet
gathered together to Saul at Gilgal, 1 Sam. xiii.
When Samuel had anointed Saul privately, chap x.
1, he counselled him to go to Gilgal, and tarry there
seven days, till he came to him ; promising to come to
him there, both to oifer burnt offerings, &c. and to
shew him what he should do, ver. 8.
Saul lay now encamped at Gilg?J, expecting Samuel
every day. But he not coming when they looked for
him, the people, quite discouraged by the absence cf
ike prophet, which they took for an inauspicious omen,
wml generally forsake their new and so much desired
king, shifting every one for himself. And so great
did the fear of the Philistines prevail, that most of
them hid themselves ; some in caves, some in thickets,,
some in rocks, in high places some, and some in pits ;
and some, not thinking themselves safe any where on
that side Jordan, went over to their brethren on the
other side the river.
Reduced to this extremity, and out of hopes now of
Samuel's coming, Saul called for a burnt offering and
peace offering, and offered the burnt offering : which
he had no sooner done, but Samuel came ; of whose
coming Saul having notice, went forth to meet and
salute him.
Samuel immediately asked him what he had done ?
Unto whom Saul relating both what he had done, and
the reason why, Samuel straightway told him he had
done foolishly, charging him that he had not kept the
commandment of the Lord his God, which he had
commanded him ; which if he had done, the Lord
would have established his kingdom over Israel for-
ever : whereas now his kingdom should not continue ;
for that the Lord had sought him a man after his own
heart, to be captain over his people.
This severe reproof, and downright charge of hav-
ing broke the Lord's command, would make one doubt
418 SACRED HISTORY. PART II;
that Saul had not waited the full time of seven days
lor Samuel's coming, according to appointment, but
had offered the burnt offering before the seven days
were out, and that Samuel had come within the time :
but that the text is so express, ver. 8, 4 That he tar-
ried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel
had appointed ; but Samuel came not,' &c.
Whatever was the cause ©f this delay in Samuel,
whether it was accidental, or designed for a trial to
the new king; yet certainly it gave him an unhappy
trip, and made him stumble at the very threshold of
his government.
Samuel upon this, departing from Gilgal, gat him
up to Gibeah of Benjamin. Whither also Saul,Nwith
his son Jonathan, soon after led those few that stuoJL
to him ; who upon a muster were found to be but six
hundred men, and those but ill provided. For the
. Philistines, that the Hebrews might not make them-
selves swords or spears, had taken care before, that
there should not be a smith found throughout all the
land of Israel. So that the poor Israelites, while the
Philistines had dominion over them, were obliged to
go down to them for their smithing work in husbandry,
to sharpen their plough-shares, coulters, axes, and
mattocks, when they were grown too blunt to be
whetted with a fde.
Here then was an army in a manner without arms :
for, it seems, not a man of them had sword or spear,
but Saul himself, and Jonathan his son. Yet may not
this be so understood as if there were no more arms in
Israel, or among the Israelites : for, notwithstanding
all the politic cautions of the Philistines to prevent it,
the Israelites no doubt had arms though they kept
them privately. How else could they but just before
have made such a slaughter of the Ammonites at Ja-
besh-Gilead? chap. xi. 11. Where also, if any of
them had wanted arms, they might have furnished
themselves from the slain. May it not therefore be
supposed, that these few that staid with Saul, in so
great a fright that they trembled, chap. xiii. 7, as well
as the rest that had run away and hid themselves,
FART II. SACRED HISTORY. 41€
ver. 6, had laid aside their weapons, that they might not
be found in arms by the Philistines.
Meanwhile the advanced guard of the Philistines
sallied out of their camp in three bodies, directing their
courses three several ways. But their main body, or
standing army, reached to the straits or narrow pas-
sage of Michmash.
Jonathan observing this, and weighing with himself
the extreme danger Israel was in, filled with heroic
valour, and a religious confidence in God, he left his
father under a pomegranate tree in Micron, which
signifies fear, with about six hundred faint hearted
soldiers, and Ahiah the priest, and withdrew him-
self privately from the army, attended only by the
4£oung man that bore his armour, to whom alone
he imparted his intention ; and directing his course
towards the plaee where the enemy lay, he said
to his armour-bearer, ' Come, let us go over unto
the camp, or garrison, of these uncircumcised. It
may be the Lord will work for us : for there is no re-
straint to the Lord, to work by many or by few.' His
armour-bearer encouraged him ; wishing him to go
on, and do all that was in his heart : assuring him that
he would not fail to follow him, 1 Sam. xiv.-*"
Whereupon Jonathan proposed the enterprize thus :
4 We will pass over, said he, so near unto these men,
that we may discover ourselves unto them. And if,
when they see us, they shall say unto us, Tarry till
we come to you, then we will tarry indeed, and not go
up to them : but if they should say, Come unto us,
then we will go up ; and this shall be for a sign unto
us, that the Lord hath delivered them into our hand.'
Thus resolved, thev went on, until they were dis-
covered by the Philistines* garrison, or out-guards ;
who at first sight of them cried out, c Behold, the
Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had
hid themselves.' But quickly some of the soldiers
calling to them, said, ' Come up to us, and we will
shew you a thing.' This, so aptly answering th s
before proposed, did greatly animate Jonathan.
* A, M. 2919.
420 SACRED HISTORY. PART II.
The way by which they were to pass was both very
steep, and very strait or narrow, having a sharp rock
on either side : yet Jonathan, full of faith and courage,
bidding his armour-bearer come up after him, climbed
up, as well and as fast as he could, on his hands and
his feet ; and his armour-bearer followed him. And
being got up, they shewed the Philistines a thing : for
they fell so furiously upon the out-guard's, that in a
little time, and little space of ground, they slew about
twenty of the Philistines.
So bold an onset, so successfully carried xm, might
well, as it did, startle the secure and confident Philis-
tines. But the terror, which thereupon the Lord
struck them with, ran so universally throughout the
host, and seized so deeply on them, that a great tremb-*
ling possessed them all ; and the very earth trembled
also : for it was a trembling sent from God. And in
this fright that possessed the Philistines, they fell
foul one upon another ; and every man's sword was
against his fellow.
Meanwhile Saul's centinels, who stood in Gibeah
to watch the motion of the Philistines, observing the
multitude there to grow thinner, and that they knock-
ed one another down, acquainted Saul therewith.
Who thereupon suspecting some attempt to be made
by some of his men upon the Philistines, which might
engage the armies, ordered the people with him to
be numbered, that he might know who was gone.
And finding Jonathan and his armour bearer missing,
he called in haste for the priest to bring the ark of the
Lord, that he might ask counsel what they should do.
But while he was yet speaking to the priest about it,
the noise and tumult increasing in the Philistines' host,
he bid the priest stop: being loth, it seems, to lose so
much time from falling in upon the disordered Philis-
tines, as the asking counsel of the Lord would take up.
Wherefore drawing forth with all speed his men to
the battle, and the Hebrews on all sides flocking in, as
well they that had hid themselves in mount Ephraim,
as they that for shelter had fled before to the Philis-
?ART II. SACftED HISTORY. 421
tines' camp, they all new in now to join with Israel
against the Philistines, who themselves were busy in
ki'ling one another. And there being by that means
opportunity enough for the unarmed, or ill armed Is-
raelites, to arm themselves sufficiently with the weap-
on^ of the slaughtered Philistines, they gave the Phi-
listines a very great overthrow : ana so the Lord saved
Israel that day.
The just joy for so great a deliverance was some-
what abated, at least interrupted, by an unhappy acci-
dent. Saul when he perceived the Philistines 'in dis-
order, killing one another in their camp, before he
drew out his men to the battle, caused proclamation
to be made in his camp, by which he adjured his men
to fast till evening : adding this execration, « Cursed
be the man that eateth any food until the evening
that I may be avenged of mine enemies.'
This, it seems, he did, to restrain the people from
falling too soon upon the booty, and feasting them-
selves with the enemy's provisions; whereby they
might lose the opportunity of obtaining a complete
and full victory. And had he done this by a bare
command, without any execration added, his policy
therein had not, perhaps, been much amiss.
But having made a wrong step before, for which he
had been reproved by the prophet, he went on now in
his own will, following the dictates of his own mind,
without asking counsel of the Lord, which he ought
to have done ; and which, as a known duty, he was
about to have done, when he called the priest to bring
the ark of God ; but through a preposterous haste,
tearing to lose time by staying to inquire of God, he
stopped the priest again; bidding him withdraw his
hand.
However, by this charge he defeated his own pur-
pose ; hindering that which he would have effected,
and missing that which he would have obtained.
r or the people for want of sustenance, having pro-
bably through fear and continual watching fasted to*
long before, were by this time grown so feeble, that
vci.i. 2 m
422 SACRED HISTORY. PART II,
they were not able to pursue the Philistines, as they
might have done, had they took some short refection ;
which gave opportunity to many of the Philistines to
escape by flight, who otherwise must have fallen into
their hands.
But this was not all the mischief that attended this
execrable charge. For Jonathan, being gone from the
camp before that charge was given, knew nothing of
it. And coming with his men to a wood, where honey
dropped, and lay upon the ground j he, as he passed
along, dipped the end of his staff in the honey, and
put it to his mouth. The rest of the people, though
very weary and faint, would not touch a drop of the ho-
ney; fearing the curse wherewith Saul had bound them.
Jonathan was probably as faint as they, if not more,
having been longer engaged in the action ; so that his
sight was grown weak through faintness : but upon this
little refreshment his strength returned, and his eyes
grew vigorous.
It is reasonable to think, that observing the back-|
wardness of the people, Jonathan might invite them
to eat of the honey, that they might be refreshed as
well as he ; because the text says, ver, 28, one of
the people answered and said, c Thy father straitly
charged the people with an oath, saying, Cursed be the
man that eateth any food this day.'
When Jonathan heard this, he was troubled ; not for
himself, for he knew that curse could not reach him j
who neither consented to it, nor knew of it. But he was
troubled that his father, by that rash oath, had hinder-
ed the completing of so great and eminent a deliver-
ance. Neither could he contain himself from saying,
4 My father hath troubled the land, For see, I pray
you, said he, how mine eyes, which through faintness
w^re grown weak and dim, have been enlightened,
that is, have recovered their strength, since I tasted a
little of this honey : how much more, if haply the peo-
ple had eaten freely to-day of the spoil of their enemies
which they found ? For had there not been now a
much greater slaughter amongst the Philistines V
£A11T tit SACRED HISTORr. 423
Whether the people took encouragement, from the
words and example of Jonathan, to satisfy their hun-
ger as soon as they could ; or whether, which is most
probable, they tarried till evening, for they were after-
wards taxed for eating flesh with the blood, not for
eating within the time prohibited, they being sharp set
flew upon the spoil ; and seizing on sheep, oxen, and
calves, slew them on the ground, where the blood could
not well drain from them : and not having patience to
stay till the blood could be thoroughly drawn out, they
fell greedily on, and eat. the flesh with the blood in it.
This being told to Saul, he expressed some zeal against
this evil ; and calling for a great stone to be brought
him, he raised an altar unto the Lord, and command-
ed the people to bring every one his ox and his sheep
thither, and slay them there, that the blood might be
well pressed out; which they did.
After the people had satisfied themselves with food,
Saul proposed to renew the pursuit after the enemy ;
saying, l Let us go down after the Philistines by night,
and spoil them until the morning light : and let us not
leave a man of them.'
The people expressing their readiness, the priest
interposed, advising them to consult the Lord first.
Whereupon Saul asked counsel of God, whether he
should go down after the Philistines ; and whether he
would deliver them into the hand of Israel. But the
Lord did not vouchsafe to answer him that day.
This made Saul uneasy. And being willing to im-
pute this repulse to a breach of his charge given be-
fore about not eating, he resolved to have the lot cast,
that he might thereby find out who had broken his
command : swearing by an high oath, 4 As the Lord
liveth that saveth Israel,' that if it should prove to be
his son Jonathan, he should surely die.
The people (who generally knew that Jonathan had
tasted of the honey) were so astonished at this dan-
gerous oath, that they made him no answer. But the
elders being gathered together, Saul appointed them
with the people, to stand on the one side, and he, with
4~4 BACHED HISTORY". I- ART II.
his son Jonathan, stood on the other side, as the two
parties, upon one of which the general lot must fall.
Then addressing himself to God, he implored him
to give a perfect lot. So we read the English text :
but the margin says, to shew the innocent.
Upon the casting of the lots the people were acquit-
ed : and the doubt lay between Saul and Jonathan.
Whereupon the lot being cast again between them
two, it fell upon Jonathan : by which (say Tremellius
and Junius on the place) the innocent was shewed.
Saul then asking him what he had done, Jonathan
answered, i I did but taste a little honey with the end
of the rod (or staff) that was in my hand : and must I
die for it !*' Saul thereupon sware again, ' God do so,
and more also ; for thou shalt surely die, Jonathan.
At that the people began to rouse ; and expostulat-
ing the matter with Saul, said, i Shall Jonathan die,
who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? God
forbid.' And that they might be all as positive as
Saul had been, they, using the same form of words
which -he had used, said, c As the Lord liveth, there
shall not an hair of his head fall to the ground (that is,
he shall hot suffer any thing at all, how little soever) :
for he hath wrought with God this day. So the peo-
ple rescued Jonathan, that he died not.' And Saul
leaving the pursuit of the Philistines, gave them oppor-
tunity to get back to their own country.
Upon this, it is said, Saul took the kingdom over
Israel, ver. 47. From which words some think, that
the two years wherein he is said to have reigned, chap,
xiii. 1, was all the time that he reigned lawfully ; and
that after that, declining from that manner of ruling,
which from the Lord Samuel had prescribed, and re-
corded in a book, chap. x. 25, he governed arbitrarily
by a standing force.
And it may not be unlikely that he, who was a jeal-
ous prince, and always regardful of his own safety,
observing how dear his son was to the people, might
not think himself altogether out of danger of being
dethroned, and therefore took what measure he thought
PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 425
best to secure the kingdom to himself: of which he, a
soldier, might probably judge a standing army the
likeliest.
Nor wanted he occasions for raising one, and for
keeping it up when raised ; for he had wars on all
hands, and fought against all his enemies on every
side ; against Moab, and Ammon, and Edom, and the
kings of Zobah, and the Philistines, against whom he
had war all his days. For he was indeed a martial
prince, and loved a soldier, and therefore when he met
with any man that excelled in strength or valour, he
took him into his service.
Nor was he yet so much out of favour, but that, al-
though he had missed his way in his former enterprize
against the Philistines, the Lord would employ him
again in another expedition, that he might have op-
portunity to recover himself, and make some amends
for his former slip.
It was not long therefore before the prophet Samuel
came to him again, with a message from the Lord.
Which yet before he delivered, that Saul might the
more needfully regard what he had to say, he thus in-
troduced :
4 The Lord sent me to anoint thee to be king over
his people, even over Israel : now therefore hear-
ken thou unto the voice of the words of the Lord,'
1 Sam. xv.
Having thus prefaced to quicken his attention, he
delivered his message in these words :
lThus saith the Lord of Hosts, I remember that
which Amalek did to Israel ; how he laid wait for
him in the way, when he came up from Egypt. Now
go, and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that
they have. Spare them not : but slay both man and
woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and
ass.'
How sharp soever this message might be thought, yet
it was so plain, that there could not be any possibility
of mistaking it. Sharp indeed it may seem to be ;
2 M 2
426 SACRED HISTORY. PART II.
especially if it be considered, that it was executed
upon a nation for a fact committed four hundred years
before ; and for which too the aggrossors were then
punished in their own persons, Exod. xvii. IS. Which
shews God's faithfulness and love to his people, and
that first or last he will avenge their cause. Yet has
it not been sharp enough to deter the enemies of God's
people in succeeding ages from lying in wait against
them, or otherwise oppressing them.
Saul having received the message, made no hesita-
tion. But forthwith gathering his forces together,
marched forth against Amalek with a very great army,
consisting of two hundred and ten thousand men.
But before he committed any act of hostility, find-
ing the Kenites, of the posterity of Jethro, Moses'
father-in-law, dwelling among the Amalekites, he re-
membered, and acknowledged to them, that they, that
is, their ancestors, had shewn kindness to the children
of Israel when they came up out of Egypt ; and there-
fore he warned them to speed away, and depart from
the Amalekites, lest, in the common fate of war he
should destroy them with the Amalekites. And here
is an instanceof kindness returned, for kindness re-
ceived as long before as the Amalekites' trespass
*Tas.
The Kenites took his counsel, and got out of the
way. And then fell Saul upon the Amalekites, and
smote them so, that it is said, ' He utterly destroyed
all the people with the edge of the sword.' Which
had he done indeed, neither had Ziklag been after-
wards sacked and burnt by the hand of the Amalekites,
chap, xxxi : nor had Saul himself been slain by the
hand of an Amalekite, 2 Sam. i. 8 and 10. But it
may be supposed he killed all he met with, or found,
■except the king of the Amalekites, whose title was
A gag.
Him he took alive, and purposely spared, because
he was their king; whom perhaps, for that very rea-
son, he ought to have shewn least favour unto ; not
because he was a king, but because he was their king.
PART II. SACRED HISTORT. 427
For as they now suffered for the treachery and cru-
elty of their ancestors, so it is reasonable to suppose,
that the Agag, or king, of the Amalekites, who then
ruled when they did that despite to Israel, was more
deeply guilty of both complotting and executing that
design against Israel, than any private or single Ama-
lekite could be. But Saul, a king, was willing to save
this king, though against the express command of the
King of kings.
This was part of Saul's transgression : but this was
not all ; for besides the king, Saul and the people (for
upon them he laid it, and they are joined together)
spared the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, of the
fat beasts, and the lambs; and indeed of ail that was
good, and would not destroy them. But every thing
that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterlv ;
notwithstanding the command was so plain and ex-
press to smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that
they had, that it admitted of no reserve, either of
person or thing.
Before Samuel could have notice of this, either by
messenger or report, he had it from the Lord ; who so
highly resented this inexcusable disobedience of Saul,
that, expressing himself after the manner of men, he
said to Samuel, ' It repenteth me that I have set up
Saul to be king : for he is turned back from following
me ; and hath not performed my commandments.'
This so grieved Samuel, that he cried unto the Lord
all night : no doubt on behalf of Saul and his people.
Early next morning gat Samuel up to meet Saul ;
and understanding that he was come up to Carmel,
where he had made an halt to refresh his men, and
was passed on, and gone down to Gilgal, he follow-
ed him thither, and there he found him.
At their first congress, Saul very briskly said to
Samuel, i Blessed be thou of the Lord : I have per-
formed the commandment of the Lord.' Ay ! said
Samuel, * What meaneth then the bleating of the
sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen, which
I hear V
428 SACRED HISTOXJT. PART H.
4 They have brought them, said Saul, from the
Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the
sheep and of the oxen to sacrifice ujito the Lord thy
God ; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.'
4 Stay, said Samuel then to Saul, and I will tell thee
what the Lord hath said to me this night.' Saul bid-
ding him say on, Samuel proceeded, and said,
4 When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast
thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel ?' And
did not the Lord anoint thee king over Israel ? And the
Lord sent thee on a journey, and said, Go, and utterly
destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against
them until they be consumed. Wherefore then didst
thou not obey the voice of the Lord, but didst fly upon
the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the Lord?'
Saul, still justifying himself said, 4 Yea, I have
obeyed the voice of the Lord, and have gone the way
which the Lord sent me : and have brought A gag the
king of Amalek,and have utterly destroyed the Amale-
kites : but it was the people that took of the spoil, sheep
and oxen, the chief of the things which should have
been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy
God in Gilgal.*
Samuel replied, 4 Hath the Lord as great delight in
burnt offerings and in sacrifices, as in having his voice
obeyed ? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice : and
to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion, added
he, is as the sin of witchcraft : and stubbornness is as
iniquity and idolatry.' Wherefore, now Saul, hear
thy doom : c Because thou hast rejected the word of
the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.'*
Saul bore up against Samuel till now : nor did he
seem concerned at any thing he had said before. But
these last words, of his being rejected from the king-
dom, touched him to the quick. At this he presently
cried out, I have sinned ; and confessed he had trans-
gressed the commandment of the Lord, and the words
of the prophet ; yet would have excused himself, on
pretence he had done it for fear of the people, and to
answer their desire. And having desired him to par-
PART It. sACRED HISTORY. 429
don his sin, he asked him to accompany him that he
might worship the Lord. But Samuel refused to go
with him ; and gave him this reason for it: 'Thou
hast rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord hath
rejected thee from being king over Israel.'
Then, as Samuel turned about to be gone, Saul,
to stay him, caught hold on the skirt of his mantle,
and it rent. Whereupon Samuel took occasion to tell
him, the Lord had rent the kingdom of Israel from
him, and had given it to a neighbour of his, that was
better than he. This neighbour, as it appeared soon
after, was David ; though Samuel did not then know;
who it should be, but spake, as a prophet, by divine
direction.
And to assure Saul that he spake this, not of him-
self, but from the Lord, and thereby to impress the
sense thereof the deeper in him, he added : c And
also, the strength of Israel will not lie, nor repent :
for, though he spake to man according to man's capa-
city, yet he is not a man, that he -should repent.'
Saul was not so sensibly touched with any thing, as
the mention of his losing the kingdom. And he seem-
ed apprehensive that Samuel's refusing to go with him,
and join with him in the worship of God, would lessen
his esteem with the people, and alienate the affections
of his courtiers from him. Therefore acknowledging
again that he had sinned, he added, l Yet honour me
now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and
before Israel ; and turn again with me, that I may
worship the Lord thy God.' And Samuel, having
another piece of service yet to do, which perhaps he
knew not, or thought not of before, followed after
Saul : and Saul performed his devotions.
Then called Samuel for Agag, the king of the Ama-
lekites, to be brought to him. The captive king, ex-
pecting to have a favourable reception from an old man
and a prophet, came pleasantly forward, saying, ' Sure-
ly the bitterness of death is past.' But he soon found
his mistake. For Samuel, without using any cere-
mony, or saying any more to him, than, ; As thy sword
430 SACRED HISTORY. PART 11.
hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be
childless among women,' fell on him, and hewed him
in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal.*
This was, if I may so say, the sacrifice Samuel went
back after Saul to offer, which Saul little thought of:
and having performed his service, Samuel departed to
his own house at Raman, and Saul to his at Gibeah of
Saul. After which, Samuel never came more to see
Saul, yet could not forbear to mourn for him.
For this the Lord gave him a gentle reproof: asking
him, ' How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I
have rejected him from reigning over Israel.' Then
bidding him fill his horn with oil, ' Go, said he : I will
send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite : for I have pro-
vided me a king among his sons, 1 Sam. xvi.
Though Samuel had before told Saul that God had
rejected him, had rent the kingdom from him, and had
given it to a neighbour of his, more worthy than he,
words provoking enough to an angry martial king ;
and did it boldly without shew of fear ; yet now,
when he was directed to go and anoint that other, the
sense of the danger startled the prophet. c Alas, said
he, how can I go ? If Saul hear it, he will kill me.'
The Lord knowing the sincerity of his prophet,
overlooked the frailty of his nature, and kindly pro-
posed him an expedient, to remove at once both the
danger and his fear ; c Take, said he, an heifer with
thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice (to offer a peace
offering, or hold a feast) to the Lord. And call Jesse
to the feast, and I will shew thee what thou shalt do :
and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I shall then
name unto thee.'
Samuel, following the Lord's direction, went to
Beth-lehem : but his coming thither in that manner,
put the elders of the town in great fear. They doubt-
ed some grievous crime had been committed, which
he came to inquire into ; and asked him, if he came
peaceably : he answered, yea ; and told them, he was
tome to hold a feast unto the Lord. For sacrifice, in
* A. M. 2920.
PART IT. SACRED HISTORY. 431
a strict and proper sense, as a burnt offering for sin,
might not be offered, by the law, in any other place
than before the ark: but peace offerings and feasts
might. Therefore he bid them sanctify, or prepare
themselves, and come hvith him to the sacrifice, or
feast ; and he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and invited
them to it.
Now when Samuel was come into Jesse's house,
and saw his sons about him, he quickly fixed his
eye upon Eliab, who was the eldest son, and a proper
man ; fit in his judgment to succeed so tall a man as
Saul. Concluding therefore him to be the man, he
said, (probably in himself) ' Surely the Lord's anoint-
ed is before him.' But the Lord checking Samuel,
said, 4 Look not on his countenance, nor on the height
of his stature, because I have refused him: for the
Lord seeth not as man seeth ; for man looketh on the
outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.'
Jesse (unto whom it is probable Samuel had open-
ed the cause and end of his coming) seeing Eliab set
aside, called Abinadab, his second son, and made him
pass before Samuel ; who warned by his former mis-
take, would not now trust to his own judgment, but
kept to his sure guide, the voice of the Lord within:
by which instructed, he said, ' Neither hath the Lord
chosen this' (though his name signified, amongst other
things, a prince). Then Jesse made Shamma, his
third son, to pass by (whose name signifies desolation
or perdition) : and of him also Samuel said, ' Neither
hath the Lord chosen this.' Thus Jesse made seven
of his sons to pass before SamueJ, and none of them
was trjp right.
Samuel thereupon asked Jesse, if these were all his
children; Jesse told him, there was one more, the
youngest of them all : but he was abroad^ keeping the
sheep. ' Send then, said Samuel, and fetch him: for
we will not set down (to the feast) till he come hither.*
Jesse therefore sent and brought him in : a goodly
youth he was to look at, of a ruddy complexion, and
beautiful countenance, j^nd as soon as he was coma
4.32 • SACRED HISTORY. I> ART IT.
in, the Lord said to Samuel, 4 Arise, anoint him, for
this is he.' Samuel then taking the horn of oil,
anointed him in the midst of his brethren. And
from that day forward the spirit of the Lord came
upon David : but the spirit of the Lord departed from
Saul ; and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled and
terrified him : for all spirits, evil as well as good, are
at God's command.*
Now when Saul's servants saw how he was vexed
with that evil spirit, they told him that if, when the
evil spirit from God was upon him, he had a skilful harp-
er to play before him with his harp, he should be well,
or have ease ; and therefore they desired him to give
order that they might seek out such a man. Which
he consenting to, one of them told him he had seen a
son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who was cunning in
playing, and a mighty valiant man, a man of war, pru*
dent in matters, and a comely person, and withall
that the Lord was with him.
Upon this recommendation, Saul sent messengers
to Jesse, requiring him to send him David his son,
who was with the sheep. Whereupon Jesse, lading
an ass with bread, and a bottle of wine and a kid, sent
them as a present by David to Saul. And thencefor-
ward, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul,
David took an harp, and playing upon it, so refreshed
Saul, that the evil spirit departed from him, and he
was well.
This procured David great love from Saul, so that
he was loth to part with him. And therefore he sent
to Jesse, saying, ' Let David, I pray thee, stand be-
fore me ; for he hath found favour in my sight.' And
he made David his armour-bearer.
By this time the Philistines, having rallied their
scattered troops, and recruited their forces, drew forth
their armies again, to repair their former losses and
dishonour, and revenge themselves upon the Israel-
ites. And marching to Shochoh, which belonged to
Judah, they pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in
' A. M. 2921.
FART II. SACRED HISTORY. 43J
the coast of Daramim. Wherupon Saul drew forth
his forces also, and encamped by the valley of Elab,
or the oak : so that the Philistines' camp was planted
upon one mountain, and the Israelites' camp upon
another, having a valley between them, 1 Sam. xvii.
While thus the two armies stood facing each other,
there sallied forth of the Philistines' camp a champion,
of prodigious stature, whose name was Goliah, and
he was of Gath. His height was six cubits and a span.
Which, taking the measure here by the common cubit,
which, in Deut. iii. 11, is called the cubit of a man,
and' is generally held to contain half a yard, renders
him three yards, or nine feet high, and a span, which
some make to be twelve inches.
He is a tall man reckoned now a days, that mea-
sures two yards, or six feet : but Goliah was half
so much more, and a span over. And yet, if we may
guess at the stature of Og king of Bashan, from the
dimensions of his iron bedstead, which was nine cubits,
that is, four yards and a half, or thirteen feet and an
half long, Deut. iii. 11, he seems to have been a
greater monster than this.
Proportionable to his height, we may suppose the
giant's bulk and strength to be, by the weight of his
armour. For besides an helmet of brass, he was arm-
ed in a coat of mail ; the weight whereof was five
thousand shekels of brass : which, in a marginal note
to one of our English bibles, is computed to be an
hundred fifty and six pounds and four ounces. His
legs were guarded with greaves, or boots of brass :
and for defence of his neck, he had a target of brass
between his shoulders. The staff of his spear was like
a weaver's beam for bigness ; and the head of his spear
weighed six hundred shekels of iron : which, in the
Dook before mentioned, is computed to be eighteen
pounds and three quarters of a pound. So that his
Dare armour was enough to overload an ordinary horse.
Thus accoutered, and havinghis esquire to bear his
ihield before him, he advanced within hearing of the
vol. j. 2 k
434 SACRED HISTORY. PART II.
Israelitish host ; and then making a stand, thus made
his defiance to the armies of Israel :
1 Why, said he, are you come out to set your battle
in array ? Am not I a Philistine, and you servants to
Saul ? Choose ye a man for you, and let him come
down to me. If he be able to fight with me, and to
kill me, then will we be your servants ; but if I prevail
against him, and kill him, then ye shall be our serv-
ants.' And the more to provoke the Israelites, he
insultingly added ; 4 I defy the armies of Israel this
day : give me a man, that we may fight together.'
Thus continuing to do, both morning and evening, for
forty days together, he put Saul, and all Israel that
heard him, into a very great fear : for in all the host
of Israel there was not a man found that would accept
the challenge.
When therefore neither king Saul, . nor any of his
warriors, durst encounter this Philistine, God brings
forth his champion, little David, so lately and privately
anointed for the kingdom.
David's three eldest brothers served at that time in
the army under Saul ; and David, who was the young-
est son, and looked after the sheep, used to go to and
fro between his father's house and the camp, to visit
his brethren, and supply them with necessaries. And
God so ordered it at this time, that on the last of
those forty days, whereon the Philistine came forth
to. defy Israel, David should come to the camp.
For Jesse, the night before, having appointed his
won David to carry some provisions to his brethren,
with a present to their colonel, and bring him word
how they did, David, getting up betimes in the morn-
ing, and leaving his sheep with an under keeper, came
to the trench of the camp, just as the host, going forth
to the field, shouted for the signal of the battle : for
Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in arrays
army a'gainst army.
David therefore, leaving his provisions with the
keeper of the carriages, ran into the army to saluta
}\h brethren : and as he stood talking with them, be*
PART U. SACRED HISTORY. 435
hold there came up the Philistines' champion, Goliah
of Gath, out of the armies of the Philistines, and gave
the same defiance, in David's hearing, that he had
used to give before.
At sight of this grim warrior the men of Israel
were so terrified, that in great fear they fled from
him ; and said one to another, ' Have ye seen this
man that is come up ? Surely to defy Israel is he come.'
But the king hath declared, that whosoever will accept
his challenge, and shall have the good success to kill
him, he will greatly enrich that man, and will not only
give him his daughter to wife, but will also make his
father's house free in Israel from all public payments
and taxes.
This David over-hearing, and being willing to un-
derstand it more thoroughly, asked some of them that
stood by him, what should be done to the man that
should be so happy as to kill this daring Philistine, and
thereby take away the reproach of his defiance from
Israel. And in his zeal for the honour of God, ancL
his contempt of the great lubber, he added, ' For who
is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should be
thus suffered to defy the armies of the living God ?'
Whereupon some of the people repeated to him what
terms the king had proposed to the victor.
But Eliab, David's eldest brother, hearing him
speak thus to the people, was angry with David, to
whom, perhaps, he bore less good will, since the time
that Samuel the prophet, setting him aside, had sent
for David from the sheep-cotes, and preferred him be-
fore him. And not containing himself, asked him in
an upbraiding manner, why he came down thither neg-
lecting his business at home ? and with whom he had
left those few sheep in the wilderness ? ' I know, said
he, the pride and naughtiness of thy heart : for thou
art come down now to see the battle.'
This was a churlish rebuke for a brother, and an ill
return for David's kindness in coming to see him,
and to bring him provisions. But David put it gently
by, only saying, 4 What have I done ? Had I not cause
435 SACRED HISTORY. l'ART IT.
enough to come,' when my father sent me ? And to
avoid any appearance of quarrelling with his brother,
he turned from him, and discoursing with another,
after the same manner he had done before, manifested
a courageous seal for God, and an high contempt of
that vaunting enemy.
It was not long, ere David's words were rehearsed
before Saul, who thereupon sent for him. And when
David was come into Saul's presence, he with a settled
courage said, c Let no man's heart fail because of this
Philistine : for I thy servant will go fight with him.'
Alas ! said Saul, thou art not a fit match for him : for
ihou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his
37outh.
David thereupon recounted to Saul what he, youth
as he was, had already atchieved. .* Thy servant, said
he, kept his father's sheep ; and there came a lion and
a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock ; and I went
after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his
mouth ; and when he arose against me, I caught him
hy the beard, and smiting him slew him ; thy servant
?lew both the lion and the bear : and this uncircum-
cised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath
defied the armies of the living God. For the Lord
that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out
of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the
hand of this Philistine.'
The brave resolution which appeared in David,
cheered up Saul a little ; so that he said to David,
• Go, and the Lord be with thee.' And to make his
little champion look as much like a warrior as he could,
he armed David with his own armour, putting an
helmet of brass upon his head, and a coat of mail
upon his body. Upon which when David had girded
his sword, and walked a turn or two about, to try how
he could wield his arms, he soon found they would not
do, and told Saul he could not go with those : l For,
said he, I have not proved them.' They might, per-
haps, be armour of proof; and being the king's, for
his own wear, probably were so: but they were not of
PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 437
proof to David. Nor need any wonder that David
could not go in Saul's armour, if they consider David
as a little stripling, and Saul a lusty man, taller by the
head and shoulders than any of the people.
David therefore, putting off Saul's armour again,
took his staff (probably his sheep-hook) in one hand,
and his sling in the other ; and having his shepherd's
bag or scrip by his side, he chose five smooth stones
of the valley, and put them into it.
Thus furnished, he advanced towards the Philistine;
who seeing somebody come out from the Isiaelitish
army, began to move towards him, his armour-bearer
carrying his shield before.
But when he was come so near that he could discern
it was but a youth, of a maidenly countenance and un-
armed, that came out against him; and taking it for a
mark of contempt upon him, that such an one should
offer him the combat, he, in great disdain asked him,
4 Am I a dog that thou comest to me with stones V
Then cursing him by his gods, he said to David,
4 Come but within my reach, and I will give thy flesh
to the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.'
David, nothing daunted with that bold threat, made
him this no less bold return :
' Thou comest to me trusting in thine own strength,
being furnished with a sword, with a spear, and with a
shield : but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of
Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou
hast defied. This day will the Lord deliver thee into
mine hand j and I will smite thee, and take thine head
from thee : and I will give (not thy carcass only, but)
the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto
the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth ;
that all the inhabitants of the earth may know that there
is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know
that the Lord saveth not with the sword and spear :
for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into
their hands.'
With this nettling answer enraged, the Philistine
came on to assail David. Who as much in courage
'2N2
438 SACRED HISTORY. PART II.
above him, as in stature below him, ran forward to
meet the Philistine. And having, upon the Philis-
tine's first motion, taken a stone out of his bag, and
fitted it to his sling, he let fly at the Philistine with
that force that (the God of Israel whom he had defied,
both strengthening David's arm, and guiding the stone)
he smote the Philistine in the forehead ; and the stone
sinking into his head, down fell Goliah flat upon his
face. Whereupon David, hasting to him, leaped up
upon him : and having no sword of his own, drew out
the Philistine's sword ; and therewith slew him, and
cut off" his head.
When the Philistines saw that their champion was
dead, they fled. And the men of Israel and Judah
standing ready in arms, gave a shout ; and pursuing
the Philistines through the valley, to the very gates of
Ekron, gave them a very great slaughter and over-
throw : and then returning from the chace, took the
spoil of the Philistines' tents.
David, in his return from the slaughter of Goliah,
was met by Abner, the general of Saul's host, and by
him conducted to Saul, with the Philistine's head in
iiis hand ; and Saul asking him, ; W7hose son art thou,
young man?' David answered, lI am the son of thy
servant Jesse, the Bethlehemite ;' for Saul it seems,
when David went forth against the Philistines, had in-
quired of Abner whose son he was, and Abner could
not tell him.
Hence a doubtful question arises concerning the
iime when this duel was fought. For since we read
in chap. xvi. 19, (before this account of the Phiiis-
rine's defiance) that Saul sent for David, and that Da-
vid came to him, played on his harp before hirn, grew
into his favour, and was made his armour-bearer, ver.
21, 22; it is much that neither Saul nor Abner should
remember nor know him, when he came to oifer him-
self to the combat. This hath made some think that
this combat was fought before the time that David was
sent to play before Saul. To which the character
r. of David by Saul's seryants, when they recom-
PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 439
mended him, not only for a skilful player, but a mighty
valiant man, a man of war, and that the Lord was with
him, ver. 18, seems to give some countenance. But
on the other hand, as it may not be supposed that this
encounter with Goliah happened before David had been
anointed by Samuel ; so, since the spirit of the Lord,
upon that anointing of David, came immediately upon
him from that day forward, ver. 13, it is reasonable to
conclude, that from that very time the spirit of the Lord
departed from Saul, and that from the very same time
the evil spirit vexed him ; and that very soon after
Saul's servants, perceiving him to be troubled, recom-
mended David to him ; and that upon David's playing
before him, the evil spirit had left Saul, and he was
grown well, ver. 23, before the Philistines made this
invasion upon him. And the character Saul's servants
gave of David's valour might well enough arise from
his bold and brave undertaking, in encountering and
killing the lion and the bear, in defence of his flock ;
which though Saul had not, yet some of his servants
might likely enough have heard of, and from thence
infer, the Lord was with him. Besides we read, that
David went and returned from Saul, to feed his father's
sheep at Bethlehem, chap. xvii. 15. And since we
never read of his going to Saul, but upon that occasion
when the evil spirit troubled him, and this when he
went to fight the Philistines, it is most likely his going
to Saul there mentioned, ver. 15, was when Saul was
troubled; and his returning from Saul to his sheep
again, was after the evil spirit had left Saul. For
after David had slain the Philistine, Saul, it is said,
took him that day, and would let him go no more
home to his father's house, but set him over the men
of war, chap, xviii. 2, 5. So that if this duel had been
before his playing to Saul, 'there had been no need to
have sent for David to play before him, for he then
had him with him. But leaving this to the reader's
consideration and judgment, let us go on with the
story.
David, it seems, after he had presented Gcfliah's head
to king Saul, brought it to Jerusalem : but wheiher
440 SACRED HISTORY". FART II.
then, or some time after, and how long, is also uncer-
tain. The giant's armour he laid up in his tent.
Only the sword, wherewith he cut his head off, seems
to have been dedicated to the Lord, and delivered
to the priest to keep, as a monument of the victory,
and of Israel's deliverance.
Jonathan, the eldest son of Saul, was present when
Abner brought David to his father, with Goliah's
head in his hand. And being himself a man of great
valour, as his own late bold attempt upon the Philis-
tines' garrison, chap, xiv, shewed, was so taken with
David's courage and conduct in this engagement, that
he contracted a firm friendship with him ; which grew in
time so close, that to express the strictness of it, it is
said, ' The soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of
David ;' and that Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
And having thus made a mutual covenant of lasting
kindness between them, the young prince, stripping
himself of the robe that was upon him, gave it to
David, with other of his garments, even to his sword,
his belt, and his bow.
Thus went all things smooth and prosperous with
David for a while. But long it held not. For Saul,
not suffering David to go back to live with his father
any more, set him over the men of war. In which
post he behaved himself so wisely, in all the expedi-
tions Saul sent him upon, that not the common people
only, but the courtiers also, did very much favour and
commend him.
This made Saul uneasy, and that which increased
his uneasiness was, he called to mind, that when Da-
vid returned from the Philistine, and he with his army
from the chace, the women of Israel came out of the
cities to meet Saul, singing and dancing, and playing
on tabrets and other instruments of music, for joy of
the victory ; and in their songs, as they played, they
said, 4 Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his
ten thousands.'
This their attributing more to David, than to him,
Saul took notice of, and resented as very ill; saying,
1 They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and
PART II* SiCRED HISTORY. 441
to me they have ascribed but thousands : and what
can he have, than the people's favour, but the king-
dom.' And being naturally a jealous prince, and of
nothing more than his scepter ; and of that too more
since Samuel had told him the Lord had rejected
him, and given the kingdom to another : he had a
watchful eye over David from this day forward, to do
him mischief.
Nor was it long before he attempted it. For the
next day, the evil spirit, that had troubled Saul before,:
entered him again ; acting on him in a sort of prophetic
manner, in imitation of the true prophets : so that
David was obliged to stand and play on his haip be-
fore him, as he had formerly done. And Saul, having
a javelin in his hand, thought this a seasonable oppor-
tunity to strike David through with it ; and thereupon,
without more ado, cast the javelin at him ; but David,
being nimble, slipt aside ; and escaping the blow,
avoided his presence, 1 Sam. xviii.
Now was Saul afraid of David in earnest ; having
given him this just provocation, and being sensible that
the Lord was with David, and was departed from him-
self. Wherefore he removed David from attending
on his person : and to expose him to the greater dan-
ger, as well as to degrade him from his higher office
of generalship, he made him a colonel or captain over
a thousand only. In which station David behaved
himself with so much prudence and good conduct, that
it was still more evident the Lord was with him:
which made the people, both Israel and Judah, caress
him highly. But the more they loved him, the more
Saul hated him, and sought his destruction.
David, by the law of arms, might have claimed one
of Saul's daughters, that being part of the reward
promised to him that should kill Goliah. But neither
was David ambitious of the honour of marrying the
king's daughter, nor Saul regardful to perform his
word, till it came into his mind, that the bestowing
his daughter on David might be a likely means to
bring him to his end.
442 SACRED HISTORY. 1»ART II.
Wherefore having already, with his own harid, at-
tempted his life, but failed, and thinking it would look
better if he fell by the hand of the Philistines, than by
his, he offered him his elder daughter Merab ; telling
him he would give him her to wife, without any other
condition, than that he should exercise his valour in
lighting the Lord's battles.
That he had done before in encountering and killing
Goliah ; whereby he fairly won the princely dame, and
ought not to have had any future conditions put upon
him, of fighting for her again. But David, not ob-
jecting that, as rather coveting, than shunning, oppor-
tunities of shewing his valour, modestly excused him-
self ; representing to Saul the lowness of his family,
and meanness of his condition, rendering him unlit
for so great advancement. But he might have spared
his excuse ; for fickle Saul soon changed his mind ;
and instead of giving his daughter Merab to David,
gave her to Adriel the Meholathite, the son of Barz-
iilai. And David might be glad he missed her, if her
nature answered her name, which signifies both chid-
ing and fighting.
But Saul had another daughter, named Michal, who,
it seems, was in love with David. Which when Saul
was made acquainted with, he was glad of it; and
said, l Well, I will give him her, that she may be a
snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines
may he against him.' Wherefore Saul told him, that
though Merab was disposed of, he should have Michal,
for he should be his son-in-law in one of the twain.
And because he had found David backward, he in-
structed his servants to discourse with him, as of them-
selves, and to inculcate to him what great delight the
king took in him, and how much all the courtiers loved
him : and from thence take occasion to persuade him
to lay hold of so fair an offer of being the king's son-
in-law.
What delight the king took in him, David might
pretty well understand, by his casting his javelin at
him. But that perhaps might be somewhat excused,
PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 443
as the effect of a phrenetic fit, when the evil spirit was
upon him. $
Saul's servants, willing to please their master, whose
secret design it is probable they might not know, and
withall desirous of David's promotion, spared not to
set forth the honour and advantages of this match ;
and to use their rhetoric to persuade David to it.
But David wished them to consider, that it was not
* light matter for one of his rank and condition to be
the king's son-in-law. For it being the custom of
those times for men (not as now, to receive portions
with their wives, but) to give doweries for their wives,
whence could they suppose he should be able to raise
a dowery befitting a king's daughter?
When they had reported this to Saul, he bid them
tell David that he did not regard a dowery : only for
the exercise of his valour, and that the king might be
revenged of his enemies, he should bring him an hun-
dred foreskins of the Philistines. This Saul proposed
to excite David's courage, and engage him in some
dangerous exploits, in hopes that he might fall by the
hands of the Philistines.
These unexpected terms did so well suit with Da-
vid's martial temper, that seeing he might have a fair
young princess to his wife, for only doing that which,
without any such condition, he would for its own sake
gladly have undertaken, he joyfully embraced the offer.
And that he might not be served in this, as he had
been in the offer of the other daughter, he resolved
there should be no delay on his part. Wherefore
making an incursion upon the Philistines within the
time prescribed by Saul, he slew two hundred men of
them, and delivering their foreskins to the king by tale,
gave him a double dowery for his daugher, that he
.might be his son-in-law: which of right he should
have been without this, for his killing Goliah. .
Though this was not a welcome present to Saul,
who had rather David's head had been brought him,
yet having engaged himself so far in the promise of
his daughter, and probably hoping that by her he might
'444 -^ACRED HISTORY. PART II.
afterwards find means to work his ruin, he gave him
his daughter Michal to wife.
By this alliance raised to an higher pitch of honour,
David sought all occasions to signalize his virtue and
valour. So that upon the next engagement with
the Philistines, he behaved himself so bravely, and
shewed such admirable courage and conduct, that he
eminently excelled all the servants of Saul, and did
thereby not a little endear himself to the people.
But still the more the people favoured him, the
more did Saul both fear and hate him. And being
now well assured that the Lord was with him, and
finding also that Michal his wife did entirely love
him, which put him out of hopes of working her into
his designs against him, he conceived such mortal en-
mity towards him, that not able longer to contain it
within his own breast, he openly gave charge both to
Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they
should kill David.
But so far was Jonathan from entertaining a thought
of killing David his bosom friend, and now his bro-
ther, whom he took so great delight in, that fearing
lest any of his father's guards, frighted with threats,
or tempted with hope of rewards, might surprize Da-
vid, and kill or hurt him, he gave him notice of the
danger he was in, advised and desired him to take
care of himself, and keep out of the way in some pri-
vate place, where he might be safe until the morning ;
assuring him that he, in the mean time, would take an
occasion to discourse with the king his father concern-
ing him, and would give him an account how he found
things.
Accordingly Jonathan, falling into communication
with his father, took an occasion to commend David
to him, and thus to mediate on his behalf, 1 Sam. xix.
1 Let not the king, said he, sin against his servant
David, since he hath not sinned against thee, but hath
served thee very faithfully. For he adventured his
life, upon great disadvantages, and slew a Philistine :
and the Lord by him wrought a great salvation for all
VAR'f II. SACRED HISTORY. 445
Israel. Thou thyself wast an eye witness of it, and
didst rejoice in it. Wherefore then wilt thou sin
against innocent blood, in slaying David without a
cause ?'
Whether through, the mediation of Jonathan, Saul
was really softened towards David for the present ; or
whether, lest he should wholly lose him, or by too
high provocation drive hi in to some desperate attempt,
he thought fit to dissemble his displeasure, that he
might get him once more within his reach, and have
one stroke more at him ; he put on a milder counten-
ance, and suffering himself to be prevailed on by his
son, gave him assurance that David should not be slain ;
confirming it to him by a solemn oath.
Whereupon Jonathan called for David ; and having
acquainted him how he had transacted the matter with
his father, and what assurance Saul had given of
his safety, he brought David to Said, and he was in
his presence as in times past.
But every occasion that raised David's fame renew-
ed Saul's jealousy, and raised his displeasure to an
higher pitch ; the effects of which David soon found.
For Saul being cast into another frantic fit, by the evil
spirit that possessed him, as he sat in his house with
his javelin in his hand, David was called to allay his
passion, by playing with his hand upon his harp.
Which opportunity Saul laying hold of, cast his jave-
lin again at David ; thinking therewith to have smitten
him to the wall. But David, forewarned by former
dangers, having a watchful eye upon the motion of
Saul's hand, nimbly slipped aside, and so again escap-
ed the javelin ; which was thrown with so great force,
I that it pierced into the wall against which David had
stood.
Hereupon immediately leaving the court, David re-
tired to his own house, hoping he might have been
safe there : but Saul sent some of his guards after
him, with charge to watch the house all night, and olay
him in the morning. Of which when Michal, David?s
VOL. I. : 29
446 SACRED HISTORY. PART II.
■wife, had notice, she acquainted her husband with it ;
telling him, if he did not provide for his safety that
night, he would certainly be slain in the morning.
She therefore, prevailing with him to make use of a
contrivance of her's, let him down through a window ;
and David, by the advantage of a dark night, escaped.
In the morning came they whom Saul had sent to
Jcill David ; and asking for him, were answered by
Michal that he was sick in bed : she thinking by that
shift to have put them off, at least from too quick a
pursuit after him. But when the guards returned
with that answer to the king, he immediately dispatch- 1
cd them back again, with a strict charge to bring Da-
vid in his bed to him, that he might slay him; glad;
no doubt, that he was so sure of him.
But a great and very uneasy disappointment it was
to him, when the messengers came again and told j
him, that having searched David's bed, they found ;
nothing in it but an image, with a pillow of goat's hair i
for a bolster, which Michal had laid in the bed instead !
of her husband, who was fled and gone. And so high- .
ly was Saul displeased with his daughter Michal for |
putting this trick upon him, and letting her husband'
escape, whom he called his enemy, that she, to ap-
pease him, made him believe that her husband had
threatened to kill her, if she would not let him go.
David meanwhile, treading bye paths, made his
escape to Ramah, that he might pour out his com-
plaints to his sure friend, the good old prophet Sam-
uel: which having done, he and Samuel went and
dwelt in Najoth, where was a school of the prophets :
in which perhaps they might hope to be secure from
any violence from Saul, out of respect at least to the
place, which in those times obtained the privilege of a
sanctuary.
But they did not yet thoroughly understand Saul.
For no sooner was it told him that David was there,
but he sent messengers thither to take him. Who
when they came there, and saw the company of the
prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing over them,
1'ART II. SACRED HISTORY. 447
as one appointed to instruct them, the Spirit of God
came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also pro-
phesied, or behaved themselves in the same manner
as they saw the prophets do.
Saul, hearing how it fared with the first messengers,
sent others on the same errand a second time, and a
third. Which speeding all as the first did, he then,
went himself. And in the way thither the Spirit of
God came upon him also, and he went on prophesying
(which being a word of large signification, interpreters
take in this place for singing of psalms, and hymns of
thanksgivings and praise to God) till he came to the
place where Samuel and David were. And being
come thither, he stripped off his clothes also, and
prophesied before Samuel ; lying down naked that
day and the next night.
This happening in the school and company of the
prophets, into which, and amongst whom, none but
good and virtuous men did use to enter, or were ad-
mitted; it gave occasion for that proverbial speech,
used when an ill man thrusts himself into the company
of good men, and endeavours to personate them, ■ Is
Saul also among the prophets V
Saul's being thus unexpectedly detained among the
prophets, gave David fair opportunity to consult his
own safety. Wherefore leaving Saul at Najoth, he
speedily repaired to his true friend, prince Jonathan,
who is supposed to be left as viceroy to his father,
while he went to Najoth. And being come to Jona-
than, he in an expostulatory manner opened to him
the strait and danger he was in, saying, c WThat have
I done ? What is mine iniquity ? And what is my sin
before thy father, that he seeketh my life ?' 1 Sam. xx.
Jonathan, not apprehending his danger so great as
it was, and willing to ease him of his fears, answered
him, ' God forbid : thou shalt not die.' And to con-
firm him, added, 4 My father will do nothing great or
small, without acquainting me with it : and why
should he hide this thing from me ? Thou mayst be
confident there is no such thing intended.'
448 SACKED HISTORY. 1'ART II.
David knew Saul better than his own son did ; and
finding his former words had not prevailed upon Jona-
than, to impress him with a due sense of his danger;
he now, to gain his belief, with a solemn oath assured
him, tliat there was but a step between him and death ;
but that his father certainly knowing he favoured him,
v/ould not let him know of it, that he might not be
grieved at it.
This so earnest confidence in David made great im-
pression on Jonathan ; so that he readily offered him
his service, telling him, whatsoever his soul desired,
he would do for him.
David thereupon taking boldness, said, i To-mor-
row thou knowest is the new moon ; and I should not
fail to sit with the king at meat : but since the power
is now in thine hand (as deputy to thy father in his
absence) give me leave to hide myself in the field until
the third day night; and if thy father inquire after
me, tell him I asked leave of thee to go to Bethlehem
my city, to the anniversary feast that is kept there for
all my family. If thy father, when he hear it, shall
say it is well, that shall be a token of peace to thy
servant. But if he be very wroth, take it for a sure
sign that evil to me is determined by him. And then,
added he, seeing thou hast brought thy servant into a
covenant of the Lord with thee, deal thou at least
thus kindly with thy servant, that if there be iniquity
in me, do thou thyself slay me : for why shouldest
thou deliver me up to thy father, to be not only put
to death, but ignominiously handled V
i Oh ! far from thee be that, said Jonathan: for if
I certainly knew that evil were determined by my fa-
ther to come upon thee, dost thou think I would not
tell thee V
* But who, replied David, shall tell me how thy fa-
ther takes my absence? or how shall I know if he
answer thee roughly ?'
Jonathan thereupon inviting David to walk out with
him into the field, when they were come to a place of
privacy, he renewed his covenant with David before
FART II. SACRED HISTORY. 449
the Lord God of Israel ; whom he invoked to be a
witness of it, and revenger of the breach thereof
upon himself, if, when he should have sounded his
father's mind concerning David, if he found him well
disposed to him, he did not give him an account
thereof, and if he found he had designed evil to him,
he did not let him know it, and secure his escape, that
under the favour of the Lord he might go in peace.
These were the terms on Jonathan's part.
But that which he required of David was, that he
should not only shew him the kindness of the Lord,
during his own life, but that he should not cut off his
kindness from Jonathan's house forever : no, not when
the Lord should have cut off the enemies of David.
For as Jonathan could not be ignorant what the pro-
phet Samuel had denounced to Saul, concerning his re-
jection, and the renting of the kingdom from him, chap,
xv. 28 ; so no doubt he had a full persuasion that the
Lord would one day set David upon the throne of
Israel.
Having thus confirmed their covenant by mutual
oath (for Jonathan caused David to swear to him also)
they began to concert the manner how this matter
concerning David's safety should be managed. The
result thereof was, that David, when he had absented
himself three days, should go down to the place where
he had hid himself before, chap. xix. 2, and should re-
main there under the hollow side of a great stone,
called Ezel, which was a way-mark. * And I, said
Jonathan, will shoot three arrows on the side of the
stone, as though I shot at a mark. And when I send
my page to find the arrows, and bring them me again,
If I say expressly to him, Behold, the arrows are on
this side of thee, take them ; then come thou, for there
is peace to thee, and no hurt as the Lord liveth. But
if I say unto the young man, Behold the arrows are
beyond thee ; go thy way, for the Lord hath sent thee
away. And as touching the matter which thou and I
have spoken of, behold the Lord be between me and
2o2
450 SACRED HISTORY. TART II.
thee forever.' Thus they parted : and David accord-
ing to this agreement withdrew and hid himself.
And now the new moon being come, and king Saul
returdfed from Najoth to that solemn feast, and Jona-
than having resigned his place to his father, king Saul
set down to eat, as he used to do, in his seat by the
•wall, having Abner by his side, and David's seat was
empty. Yet Saul said nothing of him that day : for
he thought within himself, he is not clean ; something
has befallen him, that has made him ceremonially un-
clean, so that he may not partake of this feast, accord-
ing to the law, Levit. vii. 19, 20.
But when he found his seat empty again next day,
he asked Jonathan (who he knew was his confidant)
* Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, nei-
ther yesterday nor to-day?' So, heing offended, he
called him in contempt ; not vouchsafing to call him
by his name, nor by the title of his office, much less his
son-in-law.
Jonathan, to pacify his father, answered him (ac-
cording to the agreement made between David and
him) that David having received an invitation from
his brother to their family feast at Bethlehem, had
earnestly intreated him to give him leave to go thither.
Saul, it is probable, had designed David's death at
that time; and now finding himself disappointed by
his son Jonathan, he was very angry with him. And
suffering his rage to break forth into reviling language,
called Jonathan a perverse rebel, or son of perverse
rebellion, or, as some think, the more to gall him with
an indecent reflection upon his mother, son of the
perverse, rebellious woman : adding withall, l Do not
I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thy
own confusion, and to the confusion of thy mother's
nakedness ? For as long as the son of Jesse liveth on
the ground, thou shaltnot be established, nor thy king-
dom. Wherefore send now, and fetch him unto me:
for he shall surely die.5
This so rough and unusual language convinced I
that David understood his father better than
?ART II. SACRED HISTORY. 451
he had hitherto done. Yet he could not forbear so
far to advocate the cause of his friend and brother, as.
in a gentle way of expostulation with his father, to ask
him why David should be slain -t or what he^ad done
that could deserve death. But Saul enraged before,
but now transported with unbridled fury, though he
loved his son Jonathan very well, cast his javelin at
him to have slain him : whereby Jonathan was thor-
oughly satisfied that his father had determined to
slay David.
Though Jonathan, being a nimble active man, es-
caped without a wound in his body, yet not without
a deep wound to his mind : for being a man of great
courage, and high stomach, he could not brook this so
great indignity. He was his father's eldest son, heir
apparent to the crown, long since grown to an adult
age, had signalized himself a man at arms, having
atchieved great enterprizes in war, and but the other
day had sat upon his father's throne, as his vice-gerent
in his absence : and now to be so shamefully treated,
and that too in so public an appearance, was more than
he could bear, without shewing some resentment,
though from a father and a king j or rather, perhaps,
because from a father and a king. Wherefore filled
with grief for David's danger, and with displeasure
for the open shame done unto himself, he arose from
table, and withdrew himself, in high discontent.
But not suffering his own concern to make him
forgetful of his friend's, he went out next morning
into the field, at the time appointed between him and
David, taking only his page, a little lad, with him.
And bidding the lad run, to find out the arrows which
he should shoot, he shot an arrow beyond him : and
when the lad was come to the place where the arrow
wa6, Jonathan calling aloud after hirn, said, l Is not
the arrow beyond thee ? Make speed and bring it ;
stay not.' ^Accordingly the lad, having gathered up
the arrows, brought them to his master ; who giving
him the .rest of the artillery, bid him carry them back
. into the city; which the lad did, not knowing any
thing of the business.
452 SACRED HISTORY. PART II.
By the shooting of the arrow beyond him, David
knew his doom. And as soon as the lad was gone,
coming out of the place where he lay hid, on the
south side of the stone, he fell on his face to the
ground, Dowing himself three times. Then Jonathan
and he embracing and kissing each other, wept one
over the other, until David exceeded.
But time not permitting delay, Jonathan said to
David, l Go, in peace : and let what we have both of
us sworn in the name of the Lord God, saying, The
Lord be between me and thee, and between my
seed and thy seed forever, be kept inviolable by us.'
Whereupon David arose and departed, and Jonathan
returned into the city.
David, now finding his case desperate, directed his
course to Nob, a city of the priests, that Ahimelech
the priest might inquire of the Lord for him. But as
soon as Ahimelech, who knew him to be the king's
son-in-law, a man in chief place, and ordinarily well
attended, but knew not that he was out of favour with
the king, saw him coming without any attendance at
all, he was afraid something was amiss ; and asked
how it came to pass that he was come alone.
David considering his own circumstances, and how
vindictive Saul was, and not willing the priest should
come into trouble for entertaining him, thought it not
adviseable to open his condition to him, but leave him
room to defend himself by his ignorance thereof, if he
should happen to be called to account.
Wherefore he pretended to Ahimelech, that the king
had sent him upon a secret expedition, with strict
charge not to let any body know of it. For which
reason it was that he was come in that private manner,
having appointed his servants to attend him at such a
place. But that having through haste made no pro-
vision for the journey, he was destitute of necessaries
for himself and his men ; and therefore desired, if he
had any bread to spare him some, 1 Sam. xxi.
The priest answered, that he had not any common
bread. But he had some hallowed bread, such as was
then called shew bread, from its being shewed, or set
?ART II. SACRED HISTORY. 453
in two rows six loaves in a row, upon the table, before
the Lord ; which being shitted or changed every sab-
bath day, the priest, when he set on new, took the old
bread for his own eating, according to the lavqj Levit.
xxiv. 5 to 10. But because this sort of bread was for
the priests' eating only, who were hallowed also, as
well as the bread, and were supposed to be clean, the
priest asked David, if his servants had kept themselves
from pollutions, at least from women : which David
assuring him they had, and withall urging, that the
bread was in a manner common, seeing there was
other hallowed that day in its room, the priest gave
him of the hallowed bread.
But bread was not all that David wanted, i Being let
down through the window in haste and fear, he took
with him neither sword nor spear ; the want of
which he imputed also to the urgent haste of the king's
business, which would not permit him to stay to
take his arms with him ; and therefore if the priest
had any spear or sword by him, he desired that he
would let him have it. The priest told him there was
the sword of Goliah the Philistine, whom he slew in
the valley of Eiah, which lay wrapped up in a cloth
behind the ephod : if he would have that, he might
take it; but there was no other. Ay, that to choose,
said David, for there is none like it.
Now who should happen to be present at this inter-
view between David and Ahimelech, to be an eye and
ear witness of what passed between them, but Doeg
the Edomite, Saul's chief herdsman ; who, being de-
tained before the Lord, whether by vow, or by reason
of the sabbath, or what other occasion is uncertain,
was there that day. And probably it was because of
him, that David feigned that story to the priest of his
being sent by the king ; that if, which was but too
likely, and which David suspected, Doeg should turn
informer, the priest might have the king's name and
authority to plead, in his own justification, for having
thus friendly entertained David.
As for David, having got some sustenance to re-
fresh him, and Goliah's sword to defend himself
454 SACRED HISTORY. PART II.
with, and not knowing where he could be safe in any
part of Saul's dominions, he fled that day for fear of
Saul, and went to Achish, the Philistine king of Gath.
But whether the sword betrayed him, or any of the
Philistines knew him, king Achish's servants soon dis-
covered who he was ; and said unto Achish, c Is not
this David, the king of the land ? Is not this he of
whom they sang in dances, Saul had slain his thou-
sands, and David his ten thousands V 1 Sam. xxii.
This put David in great fear, and made him wish
himself safe out of Achish's hands again : and that
Ire might facilitate his escape, he changed his behaviour
before them ; and feigning himself mad, scribbled on
the doors of the gates, and let his spittle drivel down
upon his beard. Which the king taking notice of,
said to his servants, ' Lo, ye see the man is mad:
wherefore then have ye brought him unto me ? Have
I need of madmen, diat ye have brought this fellow to
play the madman in my presence f Shall this fellow
come into my house ?'
This gave David an opportunity to get from Gath,
and make his escape to Adullam. Where probably,
after he had made his escape, rather than amongst his
enemies in Gath, he composed those two psalms, the
twenty-fourth and fifty-sixth, f
The town of Adullam, in the cave belonging to
which David was hid, being in the tribe of Judah,
Josh. xv. 25, and not far from Bethlehem, gave ready
means to David's relations, and all his father s family,
to go down thither to him, as soon as they heard he
was there.
Thither also gathered unto him all that were in dis-
tress, and every one that was in debt, and all the male-
contents, to the number of about four hundred men,
who made him their captain.
But David considering well that it could not be long
before Saul would hear of his little army, and be upon
him with a greater ; and having a pious care for his
father and mother, cast with himself, where, in these
troublesome times, he might find a place of safety for
them : and Moab being then an enemy to Saul, made
* ART II. SACRED HISTORY. 455
him the rather hope for succour there. Wherefore
going to Mizpeh of Moab, he intreated the king of
Moab to let his aged parents come thither, and remain
there, and he should see how God would be pleased to
dispose of his affairs. And having obtained leave, he
brought them before the king of Moab j and they
dwelt with him all the while that David was in the
hold. But that probably was not long: for the pro-
phet Gad, of whom this is the first mention, came to
David, and warned him not to abide in the hold,
which probably was some place of security that the
Moabitish king had assigned him, but depart, and get
him again into the land of Judah. Whereupon David
leaving Moab, went into the forest of Hareth.
Saul meanwhile abode in Gibeah, under a grove of
trees in Ramah ; having, as his manner was, his spear
in his hand, and all his servants standing about hiiiS.
And having newly heard that David was discovered,
and that he had raised forces, he thus upbraidingly
spoke unto his servants that attended him :
4 Hear now, ye Benjamites (ye who are of my own
tribe and family) will the son of Jesse give every one
of you fields and vineyards, and make you captains of
thousands and of hundreds, that all of you have con-
spired against me : and there is none of you that
sheweth me that my son hath made a league with the
son of Jesse ; and there is none of you that is sorry
for me, or sheweth unto me that my son had stirred
up my servants against me to lie in wait, as at this
day?' For Saul, it seems, having heard that David
had levied an army, and remembering that his son
Jonathan had left him in displeasure, upon the des-
pite he did unto him, when he threw his javelin at him,
chap. xx. 33, suspected that they had conspired against
him, to dethrone him at least.
When Saul had done speakings and all the rest of
Saul's servants were innocently silent, out steps Doeg
the Edomite, and says, 4 1 saw the son of Jesse coming
to Nob, to Ahimelech, the son of Ahitub: and he in-
quired of the Lord for him, and gave him victuals,
and also the sword of Goliah the Philistine.'
-455 SACRED HISTORY. PART IT.
Upon this information, Saul sent for Ahimelech the
priest and all his father's house, the priests that were
in Nob, to come and appear before him : who, obeying
the summons, readily came and presented themselves
to the king. And when Saul saw Ahimelech ; ' Hear
enow, said he to him, thou son of Ahitub : Why have
t>ye conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, in
vthat thou hast given him bread and a sword, and hast
inquired of God for him, that he should rise against
rae, to lie in wait, as at this day V
Ahimelech, either not knowing, or not willing to
take notice that David was out of favour with the king,
answered him thus, ' And who is faithful among all
thy servants, as David, who is only the king's son-in-
law ; but goeth at thy bidding, and is honourable in thy
house V As much as to say, How could I do less than
entertain and accommodate a person so honourable,
and so high in favour with my prince : especially when
he came in thy name, and was going, as he told me,
upon some especial service of thine ? And as to my
inquiring of the Lord for him, which is the proper
office of my priesthood, did I then begin ? Have I not
often inquired of the Lord for him before? Why then
am I questioned for it more now than formerly ? As
for conspiring against thee, far be it from me. l Let
not the king impute any such thing unto thy servant :
nor unto any of the house of my father ; for thy ser-
vant knew nothing of all this, less or more.'
So fair a plea, before a fair judge, had been a suffi-
cient defence for him that made it. But this angry
monarch, whose will was his law, and whose law was
absolute, hastily replied, ' Thou shalt surely die, Ahi-
melech, thou and all thy father's house.' And it being
now come to that pass, that it was no more with him
but a word and a blow, he said to his foot-guards that
stood about him, c Turn and slay the priests of the
Lord ; because their hand also is with David : and be-
cause they knew when he fled, and did not shew it to me.'
A sentence so unjust and barbarous, astonished the
guards, so that not a man of them would put forth an
Jiand to fall upon the priests of the Lord.
PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 457
Then said the king to Doeg, * Turn thou, and fall
upon the priests.' He, an Edomite and brutish herds-
man, never stuck at it: but straightway falling upon
the priests, slew of them four score and five persons,
that did wear a linen ephod.*
Such a stream of innocent blood had been enough,
one would have thought, to have glutted the revenge
of the most blood thirsty tyrant. But Saul, not satis-
fied with this, caused Nob, the city of the priests, to
be smitten with the edge of the sword, and the inhabit-
ants, both men and women, children and sucklings,
together with the very cattle, oxen, asses and sheep,
to be cut off, and utterly extinguished.
This execution upon the priests, though extremely
unjust, cruel, and inhuman in Saul, was yet just from
God ; being the completing of that judgment denounc-
ed long before by God against Eli and his house.
Of all that belonged to Ahimelech, but one escaped
this slaughter : a young son of his named Abiathar ;
who by the providence of God, slipping away, fled to
David, who was now at Keilah, defending that town
against the Philistines.
There he gave David a lamentable account of the
Lord's priests. Which though David did greatly la-
ment, as looking upon himself to be the innocent occa-
sion of it, by his going to Nob, yet he was the less sur-
prized at it, because he had observed that Doeg was
there at that time ; and had then a sense that Doeg
would inform Saul of all that passed between Ahime-
lech and him ; which in likelihood was the reason he
pretended to be sent by the king ; that Ahimelech, if
examined, might alledge it in his defence.
As for Abiathar, to cheer him up as well as he could,
he wished him to consider that they were both in the
same case and danger ; and therefore invited him to
abide with him, bidding him not to be afraid, for he
would protect him in safety,
* A. M. 2722.
VOL. I. 2 p
45S SACRED HIST0RT. PART II.
This treachery of Doeg, and cruelty of Saul upon
the. priests, gave occasion to David to compose the
fcfty-second psalm. /
While Saul had been thus imbruing his hands in
innocent blood, David had employed his arms in the
just defence of his country. For being advertised
that the Philistines had made an incursion upon Keilah,
a city of Judah, to forage the country thereabouts, and
that they were robbing the threshing floors, he con-
sidered of what importance it might be, both to his re-
putation and interest, to protect the people, and secure
the provisions ; which might be a supply to his own
men afterwards, 1 Sam. xxiii.
Yet having a regardful eye to God, he would not
attempt so hazardous an undertaking, without consult-
ing the Lord. Wherefore having the prophet Gad
with him, chap. xxii. 5, he inquired of the Lord
whether he should go and smite the Philistines, or no.
And the Lord bid him, Go smite the Philistines, and
save Keilah. But when he had imparted this to his
men, they began to shrug and draw back ; alledging
that they lived in fear while they were there, in the
midst of Judah, among their own neighbours and
friends ; and how much more then would fear prevail
over them if they should go to Keilah, a remote town
upon the border of the tribe, there to engage against
the army of the Philistines, and perhaps have Saul,
with all his forces, at their back.
David therefore, to encourage his men, inquired of
the Lord again ; and the Lord bid him arise, go down
to Keilah : 4 For I, said he, will deliver the Philistine*
into thine hand.'
By this second answer confirmed, David and his
men went to Keilah, and lighting with the Philistines
smote them with a great slaughter : whereby he both
saved the inhabitants from rapine and death, and
brought to Keilah a booty of cattle, which he took
from the Philistines.
Such an exploit as this could not long be kept from
Saul, Who, when he heard it, pleased himself, not
PART II. SAQRED HISTORY. 459
so much that his enemies the Philistines were beaten,
and a good town of his defended and saved, as with
a conceit, that now God had delivered David into his
hand. For by entering a town that had gates and
bars, he conceived David was now shut in, arid that
the Keilites would keep him fast. Wherefore calling
all his people together, he resolved to go dpwn to
Keilah, to besiege David and his men there.
David had so good intelligence, that he knew Saul's
design against him. And being doubtful whether the
Keilites, notwithstanding the benefit they had so newly
received by him, would be true to him, or no, and con-
sequently whether it were safe for him to stay there,
or no, he resolved to cast himself upon the Lord for
direction. Wherefore calling the young priest Abia-
thar, who, being newly come, had brought an ephod
with him, he bid him bring the ephod to him, that he
might thereby inquire of the Lord.
Which being brought, David said, * O Lord God
of Israel thy servant hath certainly heard that Saul
seeketh to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my
sake : will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard ?
O Lord God of Israel, I beseech thee tell thy servant.'
And the Lord said, 4 He will c@me down.'
Then said David, * Will the men of Keilah deliver
me and my men into the hand of Saul V And the
Lord said, 4 They will deliver thee up.' Upon this,
David drew out his men, which were now increased
to about six hundred ; and marching out of Keilah,
they went to seek their safety where they could. The
report whereof being brought to court, stopped Saul
from pursuing him at that time.
But Jonathan having notice that David was in a
wood, in the wilderness of Ziph, went privately to
him there, and encouraged him, bidding him not fear,
for the Lord would not suffer him to fall into the hand
of Saul. 4 But thou, said he, shalt be king over Israel,
and I shall be next unto thee (so he pleased and de-
ceived himself) ; and that my father knows, whicn
makes him so uneasy. Then having renewed and
450 SACRED HISTORV. PART II.
confirmed their covenant before the Lord, Jonathan
returned home, leaving David in the wood: where he
is thought to have composed the sixty-third psalm. Jf
He had not long been in the wilderness of Ziph, ere
the officious Ziphites, to curry favour with their king,
went and informed Saul that David was retired into
the strong holds in their woods ; inviting him to come
down with his army, and they would deliver up David
into his hands.
The crafty king, thanking them for their kindness
and commending their loyalty, desired them to return,
and inform themselves more thoroughly of David's
haunts, and take good notice of his lurking places,
and come to him again with a more exact and certain
account : and then, said he, I will go with you ; and
if he be in the land, I will fetch him out, through all
the thousands of Judah.
The Ziphites thereupon returned. Arid David,
having got notice of their treachery, shifting his quar-
ters, went into the wilderness of Maon : whither Saul,
upon advice of hi3 removal, followed him.
And now was David in a'very great strait : for so
near was Saul got to him, that David with his men
were on the one side of the mountain, and Saul on the
other side of the same mountain with his host. And
as David made what haste he could to draw off his
men for fear of Saul, so Saul, having by much the
greater numbers, endeavoured to encompass David
and his men round about, that he might take them ;
and there seemed in the eye of human reason no way
for David to escape.
But in the greatest danger the Lord sent help. For
on a sudden the messenger came in post haste, to ac-
quaint Saul that the Philistines had invaded the land
on the other side, and to desire him to bring back his
forces to repress them with all speed.
Thus God sometimes delivers his people, by raising
up enemies against their enemies. And thus, for this
time, David escaped. For Saul drawing off his army
to go against the Philistines, David went up from
PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 461
thence, and sat down in the strong holds of En-gedi :
and there, it is probable at least, on this occasion, he
| composed the fifty-fourth psalm, f
As soon as Saul had repelled the Philistines, hear-
ing that David was removed to En-gedi, he took three
thousand choice men out of all Israel, and went forth
to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild
goats, the highest and most craggy places of the coun-
try. And on his way, seeing a cave, he went into it
to ease nature, little thinking that David was so near
him ; who, with some of his men, was lodged on the
sides of that cave, 1 Sam. xxiv.
• Well may we suppose that the sight of Saul, not
knowing at the first upon what occasion he came in,
put David into great fear. Which made him betake
himself to God for help in prayer ; which, being af-
terward committed to writing, hath the place of the
7 hundred and forty-second psalm.* '/
David's men, when they saw Saul come in alone,
thought this a fit opportunity to put an end to their
troubles. And therefore they put him in mind, that
this was the day, of which the Lord had said unto him
(but when or where doth not appear), Behold, I will
deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest
do to him as it shall seem good unto thee (or, as if his
providence, in bringing Saul thus within his reach, did
so speak). Intimating thereby, that now Saul lying
at his mercy, he might easily cut him off, and rid him-
self of so potent and implacable an enemy. Not con-
sidering that Saul had three thousand armed men at
his heels, ready to have revenged that act upon them,
and to have cut them all off for it.
But David, who, besides that danger, moved upon
another principle, answered, l The Lord forbid that
I should do this thing unto my master, to stretch
forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the Lord's
anointed.'
With these words David restrained his servants ;
not suffering them to rise against Saul. But he him-
* A. I>I. 2923.
2p 2
462 SACRED HISTORY. PART II.
self, going softly to the place where Saul had left his
robe (when, to accommodate himself to the occasion,
it is probable he had put it off, and laid it by) privily
cut off the skirt of the robe ; which yet he had no
sooner done, but his heart smote him for doing it, as
judging it too bold and disrespectful carriage towards
his sovereign.
And when Saul rose up out of the cave, and went
on his way, David, following him out of the cave, got
into a place of advantage for safety ; and then calling
unto Saul, said, c My lord the king 1' Upon which un-
expected voice Saul looking back, David stooped with
his face to the- earth, and bowing, thus addressed him-
self to him :
4 Wherefore nearest thou men's words, that say
David seeketh thy hart ? Behold, this day thine eyes
have seen how that the Lord had delivered thee to-day
into mine hand in the cave, where some advised me
to kill thee : but mine eye spared thee, and I said, I
I will not put forth mine hand against my lord, for he is
the Lord's anointed. Moreover, my father (for so I
will presume to call thee, though thou wilt not vouch-
safe to call me son) see and take good notice of the
skirt of thy robe in mine hand ; for in that I cut off
the skirt of thy robe, and yet did not kill thee, thou
mayst thereby see and know that there is neither evil
nor transgression in my hand, and that I have not
sinned against thee ; and yet thou huntest my life to
take it. The Lord judge between me and thee, and
the Lord avenge me of thee j but mine hand shall not
he upon thee. As saith the proverb of the ancients,
Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked ; but mine
hand shall not be upon thee. After whom, continued
he, is the king of Israel come forth ? After whom dost
thou pursue? After a dead dog? After a flea? for so,
to shame Saul, he debased himself, in comparison of
so great a king and so great a host. And added,
4 The Lord therefore be judge between thee and me,
and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thine hand.'
Saul listened attentively unto David's words, until
he had dene speaking ; and his eyil nature being, for
PART II. SACRED HIST0RV. 463
the present, bound down, by the sense of David's
kindness to him, he cried out, ' Is this thy voice, my
son David?' And with that he brake forth into loud
weeping. And as soon as that fit of passion was over,
so that he had recovered his speech, he made this am-
ple acknowledgment to David :
4 Thou art more righteous than I, for thou hast re-
warded me good ; whereas I have rewarded thee evil.
And thou hast shewed this day that thou hast dealt
well with me : forasmuch as when the Lord had de-
livered me into thine hand, thou didst not kill me.
For if any man find his enemy, at an advantage, will
he let him go safe away ? Wherefore the Lord reward
thee good, for that thou hast done unto me this day.
And now, added Saul, I know well that thou shalt
surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall
be established in thine hand. Therefore swear now
unto me by the Lord, that thou wilt not cut off my
seed after me, and that thou wilt not destroy my name
out of my father's house.'
David thereupon, willing to make Saul as easv as he
could, did swear unto him, as he desired. Which
wrought so far at that time on Saul, that leaving any
farther pursuit of David, he returned home. But
David, not thinking it safe to trust to fair words, gat
him up with his men unto the hold : where he is
4 thought to have written the fifty-seventh psalm. /
About this time the prophet Samuel dying, the Is-
raelites were generally gathered together to lament his
death, and to bury him amongst his own family at
Ramah. And such great and solemn funerals usually
taking up long time, David got thereby some respite
from his pursuers. In which time, leaving En-gedi,
lie went down to the wilderness of Paran, not far from
Maon ; where he had been before, chap, xxiii, xxiv.
In Maon, which signifies a place of offence, there
dwelt a very great and wealthy man, whose name was
Nabal, of the posterity of Caleb ; a man of a churlish
nature, and very ill conditioned. But his wife, whose
name was Abigail, which signifies the father's joy,
464 SACRED HISTORY. PART II,
was not only a beautiful dame, but a woman of great
discretion and virtue.
It was then sheep shearing time with Nabal. And
he having three thousand sheep, must needs have many
Shearers, and could not but make large provisions for
them. Besides it was the custom then, for relations
and neighbours to come in at such a time, and feast
together.
David hearing of this entertainment, and being pro-
bably in some strait for provisions for his soldiers,
chose out ten young men, and bid them go to Nabal
at Carmel, for there much of his possessions lay, and
there he did shear his sheep, and salute him in his
name. And thus, said he, shall ye say to him that
lives in plenty ; 4 Peace be to thee, and peace be to
thy house, and peace be to all that thou hast.' Then
tell him from me, I have heard of his sheep shearing.
And inasmuch as, while his shepherds were with us,
we hurt them not, nor took any thing from them all
the while they were in Carmel, as, said he, they will
tell thee, if thou ask them, ' Let us therefore find fa-
vour in thine eyes ; and since we come in a good time,
give I pray thee, what comes to hand unto us thy serv-
ants, and to thy son David.'
This message the young men went and delivered to
Nabal from their master David, and modestly waited
his answer. But Nabal, according to his churlish na-
ture, snapped them up, scornfully asking, 4 Who is
David ? And who is the son of Jesse ? Then reflect-
ing on David for having withdrawn himself from Saul;
1 There are many servants, said he, in these days, that
break away every one from his master : and shall I
take my provisions that I have prepared for my shear-
ers, and give them unto men whom I know not whence
they be P
David's young men, being modest beggars, were so
daunted with this rugged repulse, that without reply-
ing, they turned away, and went back to David with
this answer. At which David was so enraged, that
arming himself, and commanding his men to arm, he
PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 465
took about four hundred with him, leaving the rest to
guard his camp, and marched towards Carmel, with a
resolution to revenge this affront upon Nabal. For he
said to his men, 4 Surely, in vain have I kept all that
this fellow hath in the wilderness, so that nothing was
missing of all that belonged to him ; and he hath re-
quited me evil for good.' Then, binding his word
with a sort of imprecation, he threatened not to leave
a man living of Nabal's family by the next morning.
Thus went he on in a soldierly heat : but God, who
had so often prevented his innocent blood from being
shed, provided a means now to stop him from shedding
the innocent blood of others.*
For one of Nabal's servants having heard how rough-
ly his master had treated David's messengers, hasted
to his mistress, and told her, David sent messengers
out of the wilderness to salute our master, and he flew
upon them with railing language. But indeed the
men were very good unto us, and did us no harm ;
neither did we miss any thing, as long as we were con-
versant with them ; but they were rather a defence to
us, both by night and by day, all the while we were
with them keeping the sheep. Now therefore take
notice of it, and consider what thou wilt do in the
case : for evil is determined against our master, and
against all his house.; and he is a man of such an un-
governed passion, and of so ill a temper, that one can-
not speak to him.
When Abigail heard this, she staid not to consult
her husband, but with ail speed ordered her servants
to take two hundred loaves of bread, and two bottles
of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five mea-
sures of parched corn, and an hundred clusters of rai-
sins, and two hundred cakes of figs.
The two bottles of wine would not bear proportion
with the other parts of the present, nor answer the
occasion, if they should be understood of such bottles
as are now commonly used, whether of earth, stone, or
glass. But in those eastern countries they used to
* A. M. 2924.
466 SACRED HISTORY. PART II*
carry wine or water in leathern bags or sacks, made
to hold liquid things ; which vessels they called (at
least we translate them) bottles. Such were those the
Gibeonites brought to Joshua's camp, which they said
were worn out, rent or torn, in their pretended long
journey, Josh. ix. 1 3. And of such it may be supposed
our Saviour Christ spake, Mat. ix. 17, where in a
marginal note, to that which is called the Bishop's
Bible, bottles are explained by bags of leather or skin,
wherein wine was carried on asses or camels. And
of such bottles two might hold a suitable quantity of
wine.
Having thus packed up this present, and laid it upon
asses, she bid her servants go on before, herself fol-
lowing them. And as she with her train went down
one hill, David with his men came down the other ; so
that they met in the bottom. But she, not dismayed
at the sight of so many armed men, who she knew
were hastening to the destruction of her family, as
soon as she saw David, she made haste to alight from
her ass ; and falling on her face before him, bowed
herself to the ^rpund at his feet. This put David to
a stand : and while he intently looked on her, she
breaking forth abruptly, thus bespake him :
' Upon me, my lord, upon me, let this iniquity be,
and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine
audience, and hear thou the voice of thine handmaid.
Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial,
even Nabal ; for as is his name, so is he. Nabal,
which signifies a fool, is his name, and folly is with
him. But I thine handmaid saw not the young men of
my lord, whom thou didst send. Now, therefore,
my lord, as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth,
seeing the Lord hath withholden thee from coming
to shed blood, and from avenging thyself with thine
own hand ; now let thine enemies, and they that seek
evil to my lord, be as Nabal. And now this present,
which thine handmaid hath brought unto my lord, let
it even be given to the young men that follow my lord.
I pray thee forgive the trespass of thine handmaid j
PART H. SACRED HISTORY. 46?
for the Lord will certainly make my lord a sure house,
because my lord nghteth the battles of the Lord, and
evil hath not been found in thee all thy days. Yet a
man is risen to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul. But
the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of
life with the Lord thy God ; and the souls of thine
enemies shall he fling out, as out of the middle of a
sling. And when the lord shall have done to my lord
according to all the good that he hath spoken concern-
ing thee, and shall have appointed thee ruler over Is-
rael, it shall be no grief unto thee, or offence of heart
unto my lord, either that thou hast not shed blood
causelessly,, or that my lord hath not revenged him-
self. But when the Lord shall have dealt with my
lord, then remember thine handmaid.'
This so soft and moving speech so pacified David,
that he said to Abigail, c Blessed be the Lord God of
Israel, who sent thee this day to meet me ! And bles-
sed be thy advice ? And blessed be thou who hast kept
me this day from coming to shed blood, and from
avenging myself with mine own hand ! For in very
deed, as the Lord God of Israel liveth, who hath kept
me back from hurting thee, if thou hadst not hasted
and come to meet me, surely there had not been left
a man unto Nabal by the morning light.'
Then receiving at her hand what she had brought
him, he bid her return to her house in peace ; assuring
her that he accepted her person, and granted her pe-
tition.
When Abigail was come home, she found her hus-
band kept open house, holding a feast like the feast of
a king. But observing that he had drank too liberally,
and made himself very drunk, she told him nothing
of this business, until the morning that he had slept
himself a little sober, and then she opened the whole
matter to him. Which when he had heard, and con-
sidered the danger and folly his rudeness had run him
into, his heart died within him, and he grew stupid as
a stone ; and so languishing for about ten days time,
the Lord then smote him, that he died outright.
468 SACRED HISTORY. TART II.
When David heard that Nabal was dead, the sense
of the justice of God so affected him, that he cried
out, l Blessed be the Lord that hath pleaded the cause
of my reproach from the hand of Nabal ; and hath
kept me, his servant, from doing evil, in shedding
blood ; for the Lord hath returned the wickedness of
Nabal upon his own head.'
Afterwards calling to mind the comely personage
of Abigail, and with what wisdom and discretion she
had managed the business of her husband with him,
David sent some of his chief servants to her, to ac-
quaint her that he had a desire to take her to wife.
She, when she had heard their message, bowed her-
self with her- face to the earth. And to shew how
much she thought herself honoured by the offer, she
(using an apostrophe as if he had been present, and
she had spoken to him) said, 4 Let thine handmaid be
a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.'
Then, without more courtship, she hasted and arose ;
and riding on an ass, with five damsels to attend her,
she followed the messengers of David, and became his
wife : and David, having married also Abinoam of
Jezreel, was now possessed at once of the brother's
beauty, so Abinoam signified j and the father's joy,
which is the meaning of Abigail.
But Michal, David's first wife, her father Saul had
taken from him, and given her to Phalti, the son of
Laish, who was of Gallim; a place in the tribe of
Benjamin, not far from Gibeah, where Saul dwelt.
This had been a time of peace and rest to David ;
for Saul had been busied about burying Samuel. But
that, funeral being now over, and Saul returned to
Gibeah, the officious Ziphites came to him again, and
informed him, that David had hid himself in the hill
Hachilah, before their wilderness.*
Upon this information, Saul went down, with three
thousand chosen men of Israel, to seek David in the
wilderness of Ziph ; and pitched his camp in the hill
of Hachilah, 1 Sam. xxvi.
• A. M. 2925,
PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 469
David abode in the wilderness, and sent forth spies,
that he might understand whereabouts Saul lay. And
having got certain information of the place, he went
himself privately to make his observation of Saul's
encamping. And having seen where Saul himself
lay, in the midst of his carriages, and Abner, the son
of Ner, captain of his host, with the people round
about him, David returning to his company, asked
Ahimelech the Hittite, and Abishai, Joab's brother,
son of Zerviah, David's sister, which of them would
go with him into the camp of Saul ? His cousin Abishai
offering to go, they went together into the camp by
night, and found Saul sleeping within the trench, hav-
ing his spear stuck in the ground at his bolster, and
Abner, with the people, lying round about him ; but
either no centinels, or all fast asleep.
Fain would Abishai have taken this advantage to
have slain Saul. And therefore urging to David that
God had at that time delivered his enemy into his
hand, he intreated him to let him smite Saul but once,
and he would strike so home, that he should not need
to repeat his blow.
But David would by no means suffer it ; but strictly
forbade him : asking "him, ' Who can stretch forth his
hand against the Lord's anointed, and be guiltless V
That is (says the marginal note, in that which is called
the Bishop's Bible) in his own private cause j for Jehu
slew two kings at God's appointment, 2 Kings ix. 24,
27. Assuredly, said David, the Lord will smite him,
or his day shall come for him to die, or he shall de-
scend into battle, and perish ; but God forbid that I
should stretch forth my hand against the Lord's anoint-
ed. Yet, said he to Abishai, take, I pray thee, the
spear that is at his bolster, and the cruse of water, and
let us be gone.*
So they took the spear and the cruse of water fron*
Saul's bolster, and gat them away, so that no man saw
them, nor knew they were there j neither did any of
* A. M. 2925.
VOL.1. 2^
470 SACRED HISTORY. l'ART H,
the people awake, but all slept soundly : as well they
might, for a deep sleep from the Lord was upon them,
But when David was got over to the other side to
the top of an hill, at a fit distance, and out of danger,
he called aloud to the people, and particularly to Ab-
ner the general ; who not answering quickly, he called
again more earnestly, saying, 4 Answerest thou not,
Abner ?'
With that, Abner awaking, asked, ' Who art thou,
that makest such a noise to disturb the king V Then
said David to Abner, ' Art thou not a valiant man ?
And who is like to thee in Israel? Wherefore then
hast thou not kept thy lord the king ? For there came
one into the camp, and might have destroyed the king
thy lord. Thou hast not done well ; but (by martial-
law) art worthy of death, thou, and the rest of you,
because ye have not better guarded your master, the
Lord's anointed. And for proof thereof, see now
where the king's spear is, and the cruse of water that
was at his bolster.*
This discourse, talked aloud, by reason of the dis-
tance, waked Saul indeed. Who hearing David's
tongue, started up, and said, ' Is this thy voice, my
son David?'
' Yes, my lord, O king, said David, it is my voice.
But wherefore doth my lord thus pursue after his
servant ? For what have I done ? Or, what evil is in
my hand ? Now therefore, I pray thee, said David,
let my lord the king hear the words of his servant.
If the Lord hath stirred thee up against me, let him
accept an offering. But if they be the children of
men that have done it, cursed be they before the Lord :
for they have driven me out this day from abiding in
the inheritance of the Lord,' by forcing me to go to
the uncircumcised for shelter : whereby they have, in
effect, said, ' Go serve other gods. Now therefore
let not my blood fall to the earth before the Lord ;'
neither disgrace thyself by leading an army against
so mean a man as I am : which is but as if a great
PART 1U SACRED HISTORY. 471
king should go forth with his host to seek a flea, or to
hunt a partridge in the mountains.
Saul, overcome again, for the present, with David's
generosity and kindness, cried out, 4 I have sinned.
Return, my son David, for I will no -more do thee
harm ; because my life was precious in thine eyes this
day. I confess I have played the fool, and have erred
exceedingly.'
David then, holding out his spear, said, c See, here
is the king's spear: let one of the young men come
over and fetch it : and the Lord reward every man hi*
righteousness, and his faithfulness. For the Lord de-
livered thee into mine hand to-day : but I would not
stretch forth mine hand against the Lord's anointed.
And as thy life was precious this day in my eyes ; so
may my life be precious in the eyes of the Lord, and
may he deliver me out of all tribulation.'
Saul, as setting a seal to David's wish, ' Blessed art
thou, my son David :* and in a prophetic manner ad-
ded, 4 Thou shall both do great things ; and also shalt
still prevail.' Then parting, David went on his way :
and Saul, stopped in himself from pursuing him fur-
ther at that time, returned home.
But though David had now escaped again, yet hav-
ing no confidence in Saul's words, and finding the
Ziphites treacherous to him, he began to be discourag-
ed, and said in his heart, ' I shall yet one day perish
by the hand of Saul,' meaning if I continue larking
in this manner. I conclude therefore, thought he,
there is no better way for me to take, than speedily to
convey myself into the land of the Philistines : so
will Saul despair of finding me, and forbear to seek
any farther after me, and so shall I escape his hands,
1 Sam. xxvii.
Wherefore having first obtained leave, and safe con-
duct, from Achish king of Gath, he went over with the
six hundred men that were with him, and dwelt with
Achish at Gath ; he and his men, every man with his
houshold, and David with his two wives, Ahinoam and
Abigail. And this succeeded according to his hope :
472 SACRED HISTORY. TART II.
for when Saul understood whither he was gone, he
gave over seeking after him.
But David, not liking to be pent up in Gath, and to
be always under the eye and observation of the Philis-
tine court, took an opportunity, in discourse with
Achish, to say to him, ' If I have found favour in
thy sight, let them give me a place in some country
town, that I may dwell there : for why should thy
servant dwell in the royal city with thee V. Achish
thereupon gave him Ziklag : which though Joshua had
long before assigned to Judah, Josh. xv. 31, yet the
Philistines had got, and kept it from them until now,
and henceforward it belonged to the kings of Israel.
David being now settled in Ziklag, divers of Saul's
men fell to him, men of great strength and prowess,
and much renowned for their valiant deeds, whose
names are registered in 1 Chron. xii. Some of these
were of the tribe of Gad; but most of them were of
Saul's ovvn brethren, the tribe of Benj-imin. And
though some of Judah came in with them ; yet David
observing so many of them to be Benjamites, was a
little shy of them lest they were sent as spies, to betray
him : till they gave him assurance that they came with
sincere minds to join with him, and help him ; and
then he made them captains over his bands.
Strengthened with these recruits, he went up with
his men, and invaded the Geshurites, and the Gez-
rites, and the Amalekites ; and cutting them all off,
left neither man nor woman alive, that there might be
ncne to bring tidings to Gath of what he had done,
and so make the Philistines weary of him. Then re«
turning to Ziklag, with a great booty of cattle and
other spoils, he went afterwards to visit king Achish ;
who asking him whither he had made a road that time ?
cmd being told he went against the south of Judah,
and against the south of the Jerameelites (who sprang
from Judah by Thamah) and against the south of the
Kenites (the posterity of Jethro, Moses' father-in-law)
all which were either of Israel, or friends and allies
to Israel, and enemies to the Philistines j Achish, be-
PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 473
lieving David therein, was well enough pleased with
his expedition: and reckoning David had thereby-
made himself hateful to his own people, he put the
greater confidence in him, and concluded he should
be his servant forever.
But this could not have been long undiscovered, had
not the Philistines been wholly intent at the same time
upon a war with Israel. Which though it served to
hide the havoc David had lately made upon their
friends, yet it brought upon David a very great exer-
cise.
For the Philistines drawing out their forces to fight
against Israel, Achish sending for David, gave him
notice that he was resolved he and his men should go
with him to the battle.
This was an hard pinch upon David : but not being
in a condition to deny, he briskly answered, ' Thou
shalt see then what service I can do.' Well, replied
Achish, ■ If thou behave thyself bravely, I will make
thee captain of my guards forever.'
David, no doubt, was in a great strait between two.
On the one hand to draw his sword against his own
king, the Lord's anointed ; against his own nation, the
peculiar people of God ; against those who were to be
his own subjects ; was an act too unnatural to be
thought on without horror. On the other hand to be-
tray the trust reposed in him by a prince, who (though
an heathen and an enemy) had so courteously received
him in distress, so kindly entertained him, so nobly
provided for him, and so confidently relied on him;
and to turn against him in battle, would be so ungrate-
ful and base an act, that death itself was rather to be
chosen : and yet, humanly speaking, there appeared
no way to avoid one of these evils. But God found a
way to deliver David out of this great strait, which
we must seek in chap. xxix.
For when the Philistines had drawn their forces
together to a general rendezvous at Aphek, the lords
of the Philistines passing on by hundreds and by thou-
sands, and David with his men coming up in the rear
2CL2
4-74 SACRED HISTORY. PART II.
with king Achish, the princes of the Philistines began
to pick a quarrel with David and his men, asking,
4 What do these Hebrews here V Achish told them,
that was David, who had been servant of Saul king of
Israel : but revolting from Saul, had been with him a
considerable time, supposed to be about four months ;
and he had never found but he was trusty to him ever
since he came.
But the princes of the Philistines were not willing
to trust him. And. therefore they somewhat peremp-
torily said to their king, ' Make this fellow return,
that he may go to Ziklag, the place thou hast appoint-
ed him ; and let him not go down with us to the battle,
lest in the battle he turn against us : for wherewith
shall he reconcile himself to his master, but with our
heads ? For is not this that David of whom the He-
brew women sang one to another in dances, Saul hath
slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands ?'
Achish, finding his lords so resolute, and not think-
ing that a fit time to contend with them, took David
aside ; and acknowledging his fidelity, and how ac-
ceptable his services had hitherto been to him, let him
know that the lords of the Philistines did not favour
him ; and therefore wished him to return peaceably to
Ziklag, that he might not displease them, 1 Sam. xxix.
Though this was the most welcome thing that could
be to David, yet that he might seem rather to submit
to it, than desire it, he began to expostulate with
Achish ; asking him, c What have I done ? What hast
thou found in thy servant, from the time I came to thee
unto this day, that I may hot go fight against the ene-
mies of my lord the king I9
4 Nay, replied Achish, thou art to me as an angel of
God.' But the princes of the Philistines have said,
4 He shall not go up with us to the battle.' Wherefore
now, said he, get up betimes in the morning as soon as
it is light, and depart with thy master's servants that
came with thee.
Glad to be thus fairly dismissed, David with his men
departed early next morning, to return to Ziklag;
having increased his numbers in this expedition. For
PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 475
some of the tribe of Manasseh fell in with him, as he
marched from Ziklag to join the Philistines' army ;*
and others fell to him now in their return back, who
did him good service afterwards.
But Saul, meanwhile, was in great perplexity. For
having, as we read in chr.p. xxviii. 4, &c. taken a view
of the Philistines' host, while they were in Shunem,
before they came to Aphek, when he saw their strength,
which Aphek signifies, fear seized on him, and his
heart greatly trembled. And now, destitute of other
helps, he would have inquired of the Lord: but the
Lord would not answer him, neither by dream, nor by
Urim, nor prophets. How just was this upon him !
for he had destroyed the priests, by whom he should
have inquired : and the prophet Samuel, whom also
he had slighted, was gone to rest.
He would now have been glad to consult a wizard.
But that he might shew some zeal for the law of God,
he had banished the wizards, and those that had fa-
miliar spirits, out of the land. Yet in this strait, he
bids his servants seek him out a woman that had a
familiar spirit, that he might inquire of her. They
told him there was such a woman at Endor, a town
in the tribe of Manasseh. Whereupon Saul, disguis-
ing himself, took two men with him, and went to the
woman by night, and desired }ier to divine unto him
by the familiar spirit, and bring up to him whom he
should name to her.
She, little thinking he had been Saul, said to him,
' Alas 1 thou knowest what Saul hath done ; how he
hath cut off those that had familiar spirits, and the
wizards out of the land : wherefore then dost thou
lay a snare for my life, to cause me to die V But Saul,
swearing to her by the Lord that there should no pun-
ishment happen to her for this thing, she asked him
whom she should bring up to him ; and he said,
4 Bring me up Samuel.'
She then raising an evil spirit, which came in the
likeness of Samuel, when she saw it, she cried out,
and said to Saul, 4 Why hast thou deceived me ? for
475 SACRED HISTORY. PART II,
thou art Saul :' which it is supposed she learned by
t: -e spirit she had raised. Saul bid her not to be afraid";
and asked her what she had seen ? she told him, she
saw gods, so she called those diabolical apparitions,
which Satan uses to further his illusions* ascending
out of the earth. Saul, not satisfied with that answer,
asked her what form he was of, that was coming up -t
She replied, ' An old man cometh up, and is covered
with a mantle.' Saul, by that concluding that it was
Samuel (who, good man, was at rest, out of the reach of
Saul, the witch and the devil) stooped down with his
face towards the ground, and bowed himself; thereby
expressing that respect to the devil, that he would
have done to Samuel.
The apparition, that it might aptly personate Sam-
uel, asked Saul why he had disquieted him, to bring
him up : Saul, to excuse the trouble he had given him,
told him he was sore distressed : ' For the Philistines,
said he, make war upon me, and God is departed from
me, and answereth me no mere, neither by prophets
nor by dreams. Therefore I have called thee, that
thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do.'
Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, said the pre-
tended Samuel, seeing the Lord is departed from thee,
and is become thine enemy ? Then going on, in per-
sonating Samuel, he added, c The Lord hath done as
he spake by me ; for he hath rent the kingdom out of
thy hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even to Da-
vid.' And this the Lord hath done to thee, because
thou obeyedst not the voice of the Lord, to execute
his fierce wrath upon Amalek. 4 Moreover, said he,
the Lord also will deliver the host of Israel, together
with thee, into the hands of the Philistines : and to-
morrow thou and thy sons shall be with me ;' that is,
dead, as Samuel is, whom thou takest me for.
At that word, fear so possessed dispirited Saul, that
(his strength also, through long fasting, failing him :
for he had eaten nothing all the day before, nor all that
night) he fell all along on the earth. Which when the
witch saw, she came to him, earnestly intreating him
PART II> SABRED HISTORY. 477
to let her set some food before him, and that he would
eat, Bat he refused, until his servants, together with
the woman, did even compel him to consent. And
then having a fat calf in the stall, she quickly killed it ;
and kneading some flour, baked unleavened cakes ; of
which Saul and his servants did eat, and then returned
to the camp the same night.
While Saul was thus distressed, a very great exer-
cise befell poor David. For when he, after three days'
march, came weary back from the Philistines' camp to
Ziklag, he found the town in great part lain in ashes,
his wives, and all the rest of the women and children,
carried away captives, and their goods and cattle made
a prey.*
This great and unexpected calamity did so deeply*
affect David and his men, that lifting up their voice
they wept, till they could weep no longer. And in-
deed David had cause enough to weep ; for he had not
orAy lost both his wives, and whatsoever else he h«il
there, but was in danger to lose his life also: for the
people, in the height of their grief, their passion over-
powering their reason, threatened to stone him.
In this distress, David had recourse to the Lordhis
God for comfort and encouragement. And calling to
Abiathar the priest to bring him the ephod, he inquired
of the Lord if he should pursue after that troop of
robbers, that had sacked and fued the town ; and if
he should overtake them. And the Lord bid him'
pursue ; assuring him that he should not only over-
take them, but should recover the captives, and all
the spoil, 1 Sam. xxx.
With this encouragement David and hrs men set
forward upon the pursuit. But by that time they were
come to the brook Besor, two hundred of his men
were so weary and spent with their three days' march
before, and now again, that, not able to pass over the
brook, they were forced to stay behind there, while
David with four hundred men continued the pur-
Suit.
• A. M. 2927.
478 SACRED HISTORY. TART It.
These, as they went on, found a poor straggler, half
dead and speechless for want of food j for he had
neither eaten nor drank for three days and nights...*
Him they brought to David. And when they had
given him some bread and water to eat and drink, and
a piece of a cake of figs, with some raisins, to cheer
his spirits, he began to revive.
Then David asking him whence he was, and to
whom he belonged, the fellow told him he was an
Egyptian, but servant to an Amalekite : that they had
inade an invasion upon the south of the Cherethites,
who were of the Philistines, and upon the coast of
Judah, and ur,"-n the coast of Caleb; and we burnt
Ziklag, said he, with fire : and because I fell sick
three days ago, my master left me here.
But canst thou, said David, bring me down to this
company ? yes, said he : and if thou wilt swear unto
me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliver*
****>. into the hands of mv master, I will h.rW.ce i«^ rl«w*>
to them. And accordinly he did bring them to the
place were this troop of Amalekites lay scattered
about upon the ground, eating and drinking and danc-
ing, for joy of the great spoil they had taken.
But when David came up with them, he and his
men fiew with that fury and force upon them, that he
cut them all off, not suffering a man of them to. escape ;
except four hundred young men, who, being mounted
on camels, fled and got away.
Thus David rescued his two wives, and recovered
all that the Amalekites had carried way ; so that there
was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great,
sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any thing that
had been taken from them ; but David recovered all.
And besides what they had taken from him, he took
the flocks and herds, which those rovers had taken
from the Philistines and others in that expedition....
And this his men drove before their own cattle, calling
it David's spoils.
Then marching back towards the brook Besor, the
two hundred men which he had left there, having by
FART II. SACRED HISTORY. 47$
this time a little rested and refreshed themselves, came
out to meet him, and congratulate him on his good
success.
These David courteously saluted, asking them how
they did. And when afterwards mention was made
of dividing the spoil, some churlish fellows, amongst
those that had gone through, began to object, alledging,
that because those two hundred went not with them in
the pursuit, they should not have any of the spoil that
was recovered, save every man his wife and children,
and his own proper goods j which they might take
and be gone.
But David putting them in mind that it was not
merely by their own prowess, but by God's providence,
they had gotten all the spoil, told them in a gentle
way, ' Ye must not do so, my brethren, with that which
the Lord hath given us ; who hath preserved us, and
delivered the company that came against us into our
hands. For who, said he, will hearken to you in this
matter ? But as his part is that goeth to the battle, so
ought his part to be that tarrieth by the stuff: let them
part it equally.' And this, from that time forward,
became a statute and ordinance in Israel.
Now when David was returned to Ziklag, he took
of the spoil, and sent it up and down amongst his
friends, the elders of Judah, in divers places, those
more especially where he and his men were wont to
haunt : letting them know, it was a present for them,
of the spoil of the enemies of the Lord.
But while David had been thus exercised, the two
great armies of the Philistines and the Israelites hav*
ing joined battle, the Philistines prevailed; and the
men of Israel, flying before them, fell down slain in
mount Gilboa. Whereupon the Philistines, pressing
hard upon Saul and his sons, slew Jonathan and Abina-
dab, and Malchishua, three of Saul's sens, and follow-
ed Saul so close, that, coming within bow-shot of him,
the archers hit him, and wounded him sorely,* 1 Sam«
xxxi.
A. M. 2970.
480 SACRED HISTORY. PART II.
He, feeling himself mortally wounded, called to his
nrmour-bearer, and bid him draw his sword, and thrust
him through, lest those uncircumclsed should overtake
him, and thrust him through, or put him to some
ignominious death: but his armour-bearer being him-
self in great fear, refused. Whereupon Saul, seeing
no other remedy, fell upon his own sword, and died.
Which when his armour-bearer saw, he fell upon his
own sword, and died with his master. So Saul died,
and his three sons, and his armour-bearer, and his
men, for it was a general rout and slaughter that same
day.
Next day, when the Philistines came to strip the
slain, finding Saul and his three sons fallen in mount
Gilboa, they cut off his head, and stripped off his
armour ; and sending messengers into the land of
the Philistines round about, to publish their victory in
the house of their idols, and among the people, they
put his armour in the house of Ashteroth, one of their
chief idols. But his body, with the bodies of his sons,
they fastened to the wall of Bethshan.
But when the inhabitants of Jabesh-Gilead heard
how reproachfully the Philistines had hung up the
bodies of Saul and his sons, they (in a grateful remem-
brance of the good service he had done them, in de-
livering them from Nahash, king of the Ammonites,
1 Sam. xi) selecting out all the valiant men amongst
them, went all night, and took the body of Saul, and
the bodies of his three sons, from the wall of Beth-
shan ; and having brought them to Jabesh, first burn-
ed them, till the flesh was consumed, to prevent their
being taken up again ; and then burying the bones
under a tree at Jabesh, fasted seven days, in token of
mourning.
This victory proved the more advantageous to the
Philistines, for that the men of Israel, that were on
the other side of the valley wherein the battle was
fought, and they also that were on the other side Jor-
dan, when they understood that the host of Israel fled,
and that Saul and his sons were dead, forsook their
PART II. SACRED HISTORY. 481
cities and fled, and the Philistines came and dwelt in
tht x.
By that time David had been two days returned to
Ziklag, from the slaughter of the Amalekites that had
sacked and fired it, came a man on the third day, with
his clothes rent, and earth upon his head, as the man-
ner was in those times and countries, in case of extra-
ordinary sorrow ; and being come to David, he fell to
the earth, and did obeisance, 2 Sam. i.
David asking him whettce he came, he answered,
> Out of the camp of Israel am I escaped : tell me
then, I pray thee, said David, how went the matter?'
He answering, l The people are fled from the battle,
and many of them are fallen and dead j and among
the rest Saul, and Jonathan his son.' David asked
him how he knew that Saul and Jonathan were dead :
Whereupon he gave him this particular account :
1 As I happened, said he, by chance to be upon
mount Gilboa, I saw Saul leaning upon his spear, and
the chariots and horsemen following hard after him.
And when, looking behind him, he saw me, he called
me to him ; and having asked who I was, he desired
me to fail upon him and kill him ; for though he had
fallen upon his own sword, yet his coat of mail hinder-
ing his sword from piercing him to his heart, he was
still heart-whole, but in anguish. Whereupon, being
j sure he could not live after he was fallen, I fell upon
him and slew him: and taking the crown that was
upon his head, and the bracelet that was upon his arm,
have brought them hither unto my lord.'
When David had heard this sorrowful news, too
well confirmed by the sight of the crown and bracelet,
he rent his clothes, as did also all the men that were,
with him ; and, mourning and weeping, fasted until
the evening for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and
for the people of the Lord, and for the house of Israel,
because they were fallen by the sword.
Then calling to him again the voung man that had
brought him this account, he examined him what
vol. i. 2 R
482 SACRED HISTORY. PART II.
countryman he was. Who, telling him he was the son
of a stranger, an Amalekite ; David asked him how
he durst stretch forth his hand, without fear, to destroy
the Lord's anointed. But seeing, said David, thou
art convicted by thy own confession, thy blood be
xipon thine own head. Then calling to one of his
guards, he bid him go fall upon him ; which the sol-
dier did, and slew him. Afterwards David lamented
over Saul, and over Jonathan his son, in a funeral
elegy : which read in 2 Sam. i, from verse 19 to the
end.
THE 1£ND ©1 THE FIRST BOOK OF SAMUEL.
SACRED HISTORY.
PART III.
THE
Second Book of Samuel;
INCLUDING THE FIRST BOOK OF CHRONICLES ; AND CO:
TAINING AN HISTORY OF FORTY YEARS.
Although Saul was slain, and three of his sons
with him;* yet he had another son living, whose
name was Ishbosheth, and a valiant general, named
Abner, 2 Sam. ii, and whom the people would set up
for king, was very uncertain. David, therefore, being
yet at Ziklag, and not knowing whether he might ven-
ture into any of the cities of Judah ; that he might
act safely, having the priest and the ephod with him,
he inquired of the Lord; and the Lord directing hun
to go to Hebron, he went thither, taking with hij^Tiis
two wives, Ahinoam and Abigail, and all his.men,
whom he placed every man with his houshold in the
cities of Hebron.
Long he had not been in Hebron before the men of
Judah came to congratulate his return, and to offer
him the crown, 2 Sam. ii. And before they left him,
they anointed him king over Judah ; which was as far
as they could go.
• A. M. 2949.
484 SACRED HISTORY. PART III.
David understanding by them, that the men of Ja-
besh-Gilead had buried Saul, he sent messengers to
them ; and together with giving them thanks for per-
forming that kind office to his father-in-law, he took,
occasion to let them know, that he was now king of
Judah, and would requite that kindness to them;
which was a fair invitation to them also to proclaim
him king there.
But Abner, who was general of all the forces that
had been Saul's, took Ishbosheth, the son of Saul,
who was then forty years of age ; and bringing him to
Mahanaim (which was the place where Jacob, return-
ing from Laban, was met by the angels of God, Gen',
xxxii. 1, 2) he made him king over all Israel.
Thus was this new kingdom quickly divided, Judah
wing David, and Israel sticking to Saul's son
Jhhl-c. sheik. But this rent, being but of man's making,
lasted not long, ere God found means to make it up
again.
Yet, in the mean time, some bickerings happened
between the forces of these rival kings ; for Abner,
drawing out king Ishbosheth's forces, marched them
from Mahanaim to Gibeon ; which Joab, captain-gen-
eral of king David's forces, and son to Zeruiah, Da-
vid's sister, understanding, he also led forth David's
me n : and at the pool of Gibeon, the two armies meet-
ing, sat down in sight of one another, having the pool
between them.
After a while, Abner provoked Joab to send forth
a party to skirmish ; which Joab agreeing to, twelve
of a side issued forth of each' camp: these fighting
not in bodies, but single handed, man to man, every
one caught his fellow by the head, and thrusting each
other through the body, they all fell down together.
From which bold and resolute action, that place was
called Helkath-Hazzurim, that is, the field of strong
men.
This desperate resolution of these forlorn hopes,
so heated the spirits of the soldiers on either side,
Chat, the armies presently joining, a sharp battle was
PART III. SACRED HISTORY*.. 485
fought between them ; wherein David's men at length
prevailing, Abner was beaten and forced to fly.
Ishbosheth's men thus routed, Asahel, Joab's younger
brother, a very nimble-footed youth, in the pursuit
took after Abner, and followed him so close, that
Abner finding he could not escape him by running,
turned again, and made a stand, to see what he was
that followed him so hard; and observing him to be
but a youth, and understanding withall that he was
Joab's brother, he wished him to give over pursuing
him, and take some other prisoner for his prey ; but
Asahel would not turn aside from following him.
Abner went a little further ; but finding that Asahel
still pressed upon him, he spake to him again, desiring
him to turn from him and leave him : ' For why, said
he, shouldst thou provoke me to kill thee ? And how
shall I look upon thy brother Joab when I have done
it V
But young Asahel, ambitious of the honour of taking
the general prisoner, would by no intreaty be persuad-
ed to leave him, but still pressed harder on him ;
which when Abner saw, and that unless he would be
his prisoner, there was no way but to kill or be killed,
he smote him with the hinder end of his spear under
the fifth rib, so that the spear came out behind him,
and down he fell dead in the place.
His falling and lying there gave opportunity to Ab-
ner to escape : for though Joab and Abishai, his other
brother, with many others, pursued Abner also ; yet
when they came to the place where Asahel lay dead,
they all stood still : so that Abner got time to rally
what he could of his scattered forces, and having drawn
them up together into one troop, made' a stand with
them on the top of an hill, 2 Sam. ii.
Then sounding a parky, he called to Joab, and put-
ting him in mind that they were all brethren, both by
nation and religion, he as.ked him if he intended the
sword should devour forever, and did not consider
that it would be bitterness in the latter end, that he
2R 2
4815 SACRED HISTORT. PART Ilf.
was so backward to sound a retreat. Whereupon
Joab, letting him know that the people, if he had not
spoken, would have given over the pursuit in the
morning, sounded a retreat ; and so Abner with his
men travelling all night through the plain and over
Jordan, got back to Mahanaim ; and Joab with his
men marching all night also, reached Hebron by break
of day. And although they had fought so fiercely,
yet the number of the slain was not great on either
side ; for Abner lost but three hundred and sixty men,
and Joab but nineteen, beside his brother Asahel.
But though they parted thus now, yet hostilities did
not cease between the two kings and their subjects ;
for the war continued long between the two houses,
2 Sam. iii ; wherein though Abner strengthened him-
self as much as he could for the house of Saul ; yet
the house of David grew stronger and stronger, and
the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker. And yet
Ishbosheth might probably have held it out longer, had
it not been for an accident which his own indiscretion
brought upon him ; by which he lost Abner from his
interest, and with him all strength and courage. It
happened thus :
Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah,
whom Ishbosheth charged Abner with having lain
with. Abner, a man of high stomach, took this for a
great affront ; and in high displeasure said to king
"ishbosheth, 'Am I a dog's head (that is, Am I as
contemptible with thee as a dog) I who have shewed
thus much kindness unto the house of Saul thy father,
to his brethren and to his friends, against Juclah, and
have not delivered thee into the hand of David, that
thou chargest me with a fault concerning this woman ?
So do God to Abner, and more also, except as the
Lord hath sworn to David, even so I do to him ; to
•iiinslate the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to
up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah,
h (m one end of the land to the other.'
\Vhether the charge was true or no, Ishbosheth, a
p< •/ low spirited prince, was so struck with this lofty
PART III. SACRED HISTORY. 48/ .
language of Abner, that he could r.Dt answer him a
word. And Abner, being in good earnest, sent agents
to David, to transact the matter o^~. his behalf ; giving
them in charge to acknowledge David's title, and to
assure him, that if he would make a league with him,
he would use his interest to bring over all Israel to him.
David consented on these terms to make such a
league with htm. But one thing he required of him
previous thereunto ; which was. that he should bring
with him his wife Michal, the daughter of Saul: other-
wise, he let him know he would not so much as see
him.
David sent also ambassadors to Ishbosheth, to de-
mand of him his wife Michal. Whereupon Ishbosh-
eth sent and took her from her husband Phaltiel, and
sent her to David ; the poor man her husband follow-
ing her weeping as far as to Bahurim, where Abner
meeting with him, turned him back.
Abner meanwhile practised with the elders of Is-
rael, to bring them over to David ; thus discoursing
with them, c Ye sought for David in times past to be
king over you. Now, therefore, seeing David is the
man, by whom the Lord hath said, he will save his
people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, and
from all their enemies, pursue your former desire,
and make him your king,' 2 Sam iii.
Neither did he tamper only with the Israelites in
general ; but particularly with the elders of Benja-
min, who were more immediately concerned for the
house of Saul. And when he found he had gained
his point upon them, he then went to Hebron, taking
only twenty men with him, and presented himself to
David.
David received Abner and his men courteously :
ftnd to shew the regard he had to him, he made a feast
for them ; after which, Abner taking his leave of Da-
vid, told him, 4 He would go and gather all Israel to
him, that they might make a league with him; and
that he might reign over them all, according to his
heart's desire.
483 SACRED BISTORT. l'ART III,
Abner was but newly gone from Hebron, when Joab,
David's general, who, during the time that Abner hud
been with David, had been out with a party upon an
expedition against the Philistines, returned with a
great spoil to Hebron ; and being quickly told, bv
some of his creatures, that Abner had been there, and
that the king had received and entertained him kindly,
and dismissed him peaceably, he was much disturbed
at it : for Joab hated Abner for more causes than one ;
not only because he had slain his brother Asahel ; but
for that he doubted, if Abner should bring over Israel
to David, and by that means ingratiate himself with
the king, he himself might be in danger of being sup-
planted by him : for Abner was a man of great courage
and conduct, and had withall great interest in the peo-
ple.
Joab therefore hastening to king David, in a rough
and soldierly manner, asked him, ' What he had
done ? It seems, said he, Abner came unto thee ; how
is it that thou hast sent him away, and he is quite
gone V Then suggesting to David, that Abner came
only as a spy, to see his strength, and observe the
state of his affairs, that he might deceive him ; he
went out from David, and sent messengers after Ab-
ner to bring him back again, as if David had some-
thing further to say to him ; whereas David knew
nothing of it.
Abner thinking no harm, nor suspecting any dan-
ger, returned ; and as soon as he was come to Heb-
ron, Joab, who waited for that purpose, took him aside
in the gate in a shew of friendship, and under pretence
of some private business, there basely stabbed him to
death ; pretending that he did it in revenge of the
death of Asahel his brother, whom Abner in his own
defence had slain in battle.
When David heard of this barbarous murder he
cried out, 4 1 and my kingdom are guiltless before the
Lord forever, from the blood of Abner. Let it
rest on the h"ad of joab, and of all his father's house :
and let the hov.se of Joab never be without one that
FART III. SACRED HISTORY. 489
hath an issue, or that is a leper, and so is legally un-
clean, or that through weakness or infirmity leaneth
upon a staff, or that wanteth bread.'
Then commanding Joab and all the people that were
with him to rend their clothes, and girding themselves
with sackcloth to mourn before Abner, king David
himself following the bier, they buried Abner in Heb-
ron. At which the king, lifting up his voice, wept at
the grave of Abner, and all the people wept also : but
the king more especially lamented over Abner, say-
ing, 'Died Abner as a fool dieth! Thy hands were
not bound, nor thy feet put into fetters ; but as a man
falleth before wicked men, so fellest thou :' and with
that all the people wept again over him. And when,
according to the custom they then had of feasting at
burials, they came to invite David to eat, he utterly
refused, solemnly binding himself not to taste of any
rood until the sun was set, 2 Sam. ill.
This carriage of David's the people took great no-
tice of; and, as they generally liked what he did, they
were much pleased with this : for from hence all con-
cluded that David was not consenting, nor any way
privy to Abner's death.
But to his domestic servants the king complained
more particularly ; and bewailing his own condition,
said, 4 Know ye not that a prince, and a great man, is
fallen this day in Israel ? And I, though anointed king,
am yet but weak, and not well settled in my kingdom:
and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, to wit, Joab and
Abishai ; for Abishai also was in the plot against Ab-
ner, 2 Sam iii. 30, are too hard for me.' Therefore
I cannot now call them to account for it ; but must
leave them to the Lord, who will reward the doer of
evil according to his wickedness.
And, indeed, besides the baseness of this murder,
which such a man as David could not but abhor, he
had great cause to lament this untimely death of Ab-
ner, with respect to his own affairs : for it robbed him
of a most serviceable and beneficial friend, broke all
the measures they had taken for uniting the two king-
490 SACRED HISTORY. PART lit.
doms, and was likely to endanger his losing the Israel-
itish crown, had Ishbosheth, who then wore it, lived
longer.
But this murder of Abner was followed by another,
not less treacherous nor inhuman. For Ishbosheth,
Saul's son, whom Abner had set upon the throne of
Israel, was greatly dejected, and even dispirited, when
he heard of Abner's death ; and the Israelites in
general were much troubled for the loss of their cap-
tain-general : so that Ishbosheth their king was little
regarded, and less guarded.
This gave encouragement to two ruffians to conspire
his death, 2 Sam. iv, to which they might probably
be the more emboldened, from a consideration, that
of Saul's legitimate stock there was none left who
were in a condition to revenge his death upon them.
For Mephihosheth, Jonathan's son, was but a child of
seven years old, and lame too of his feet, by a fall
which his nurse let him take when she fled in haste
with him, upon the report that his father and grand-
father were slain.
These two regicides, whose names were Baanah
and Rechab, were brothers, sons of Rimmon, a Beer-
othite, belonging to Benjamin, and were captains of
bands ; but some think of rovers, that lived by spoil
and pillage. These coming to Ishbosheth's house,
about the middle of the day, under pretence of fetch-
ing wheat (so little odds, it seems, there was between
the palace and granary) went directly into his bed-
chamber ; where finding the king lying on a bed, be-
cause it was the heat of the day, they slew him, and
cut off his head, in the second year of his reign.*
Then, taking the head with them, they went out again
undiscovered, and travelled all night through the plain
toward Hebron: conceiving high hopes that they
.should be welcome guests to David, bringing with
<hem such a present. In expectation whereof, being
come to Hebron, they presented the head to David,
with this short speech ; 4 Behold the head of Ishbosh-
* A. M. 2951.
PART III. SACRED HISTORY. 491
eth, the son of Saul thine enemy, which sought thy
life : and the Lord hath avenged my lord the king this
day of Saul, and of his seed.'
But David, filled with horror and indignation at the
sight of the murdered king's head, said to these
bloody regicides, ' As the Lord liveth, who hath re-
deemed my soul out of all adversity, when one came
and brought me tidings of Saul's death, supposing he
had brought me acceptable news ; nay, and brought
me also the crown and bracelet which Saul wore, ex-
pecting I would have given him a reward ; yet, when
I understood by him, that he had a hand in his death,
I caused him to be seized on, and slain in Ziklag....
How much more then, when such wicked men as ye
are, have slain a righteous person, one that had done
you no wrong, in his own house (where he' ought to
have been safe) and upon his bed (where he could not
defend himself) ? Shall I not therefore now require
his blood of your hand, and cut you off from the
earth ?' 2 Sam. iv* Then commanding his guards to
fall upon them, they slew them ; and having cut off
their hands and feet, hanged them up over the pool in
Hebron: but the head of Ishbosheth they buried- in
the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron.
This murder of Ishbosheth made way for the uniting
the kingdoms of Israel and Judah into one again, 2
Sam. v. For upon his death, all the tribes of Israel, that
is, the elders, or heads of the tribes came unto David at
Hebron ; and having, as an introduction, told him,
they were of his bone and flesh : and in times past,
even when Saul was their king, he was their captain
that led them out and in ; and that it was of him that
the Lord had said, i Thou shalt feed my people Israel,
and shalt be a captain over them ;' David thereupon
making a league with them, they anointed him king
over Israel, and at Hebron they were feasted three
days together.
David had lived now about two years in Hebron,
and five years more he lived there : for he is said to have
reigned seven years in Hebron. And having now the
492 SACRED HISTORY. FART III.
united forces of Israel and Judah under his command,
lie led forth his men to Jerusalem, against the Jebu-
sites, the inhabitants of the land ; who, trusting too
much to the strength of the place, told David in de-
rision, ' Except he took away the blind and the lame,
he should not come in thither.' Implying, the place
was so strong, that if there were none but blind and.
lame to defend it, he with all his forces could not
take it.
David, resolving to correct their insolence, caused
proclamation to be made, that whosoever should scale
the fort, by getting up into the gutter, and should smite
the Jebusites with their lame and their blind, who had
made themselves hateful to David, he should be cap-
tain-general of all his forces.
This Joab, David's sister's son, who had command
before of the forces of Judah, performed. By which
means David took the strong hold of Zion, in which
he afterwards dwelt : and when he had built it round
about from Millo (or the fortress) and inward, it was
called, ' The city of David.'
Now began David's affairs to prosper, and his fame
to spread : for the Lord God of Hosts was with him ;
and he perceived that the Lord had established him
king over Israel. Which his neighbours also took
notice of: and thereupon Hiram, king of Tyre, sent
ambassadors to David, to congratulate his accession
to the crown, and to make him a present of cedar trees,
and workmen to build him a palace.
On the ether hand, when the Philistines heard that
the Israelites had anointed David for their king, they
came up to seek him, spreading themselves in the val-
ley of Rephaim ; whereupon David went down to the
hold. But before he would go forth against them, he
inquired of the Lord if he should go, and if the Lord
would deliver them into his hand r And the Lord bid-
ding him go, and assuring him that he would deliver
them to him, he marched forth against them, and
smote them, and put them to the rout : so that they
ftedj and for haste left their images behind them, which
PART III. SACRED HISTORY. 493
David and his men burnt. The place where this bat-
tle was fought, David called Baal-perazim, that is,
The plain of breaches, or divisions ; giving this reason
for the name, l The Lord hath broken forth upon
mine enemies before me, as the breach of waters,'
2 Sam. v.
Yet Jong it was not ere the Philistines, having
levied new forces, came up again; and spreading
themselves in the valley of Rephaim, offered David
battle.
David would not presume upon his late success ;
but inquired of the Lord again. And now the Lord
commanded him not to go up, that is, directly to en-
gage them ; but fetch a compass behind them, and
come upon them over against the mulberry-trees : and
when he should hear the sound of a going in the tops
of the mulberry-trees, then he should bestir himself;
for then the Lord would go out before him, to smite
the host of the Philistines. And David doing so, as
the Lord had commanded, he smote the Philistines
with a great slaughter.
Having by this means now gotten a time of quiet
and respite from war, David, consulting his captains
and chief leaders, said to all the congregation of
Israel, 4 If it seem good unto you, and that if it be
of the Lord our God, let us send abroad unto our
brethren every where, that are left in the land of Is-
rael, and with them also to the priests and Levites,
in their cities and suburbs, that they may gather them-
selves unto us. And let us bring again the ark of our
God to us : for we inquired not at it in the days of
Saul,' 1 Chron. xiii. 1, 2, 3.
To this proposal the whole congregation assenting,
as a thing that all the people approved, David gather-
ing the people together, went up with them to Baalah
(otherwise called Kirjath-jearim) belonging to Judah,
to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name
is called by the name of the Lord of Hosts, that
dwelleth between the cherubims.
vol. i, 2 s
4(34> sacred history. i'art hi.
The ark is said to have been twenty years in the
house of Abinadab at Kirjath-jeariin, 1 Sam. vii. 1,2.
But that twenty years must be referred to the time of
the single administration of Samuel in the govern-
ment : for the ark was taken in the last year of Eli,
and the Philistines kept it but seven months, 1 Sam.
vi. 1. Samuel succeeding to Eli in the government,
is reckoned to have judged Israel by himself twenty
years before there was a king, and twenty years more
are alloted to Samuel and Saul together, and to Saul
by himself after Samuel. So that from the death of
Eli, when the ark was taken, to the death of Saul,
must be forty years. And though seven months of
that time it was with the Philistines, yet David hav-
ing, after Saul's death, reigned seven years and six
months in Hebron, and some time after that in Jeru-
salem, before he went to fetch up the ark, it could not
be much less than fifty years that the ark had been at
Kirjath-jearim, in the house of Abinadab.
Thither went David and the Israelites to fetch it
from thence, and bring it to Jerusalem. But not
minding the law, which required them to carry the
ark upon their shoulders, Numb, vii. 9 ; they, follow-
ing the example of the Philistines, put it into a cart,
.appointing Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab,
to drive the cart. And in this manner setting for-
ward, David with all the house of Israel followed it,
playing before the Lord upon divers sorts of musical
instruments, as harps, psalteries, timbrels, cornets,
and cymbals.
Thus they went on till they came to a place called
Nachon's threshing-floor, where the oxen stumbling,
shook the cart: which made Uzzah officiously put
forth his hand and lay hold of the ark, lest it should
fall.* Uzzah' s intention, no doubt, was good in doing
this. But it being contrary to the law, which forbade
all but the priests, even the Levites themselves, to
ouch the holy things, Numb. iv. 15, the Lord smote
Uzzah for his rashness ; so that he died there by the ark.
* A. M. 2959.
PART III. SACRED HISTORY. 495
This breach which the Lord had made upon poor
Uzzah, struck David with great fear, 1 Chron. xiii ;
and mistaking it for a sign that God was not pleased
the ark should come to him, he would not bring it into
his city ; but carried it aside into the house of Obed-
Edom the Gittite, who was a Levite : where it con-
tinued three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-
Edom, and all that he had.
In which time David perceiving their error, which
had provoked the Lord to anger, and occasioned Uz-
zah's death, and understanding that the Lord had
blessed the house of Obed-Edom since the ark had
been with him ; he took heart now to remove it from
thence, and bring it into his own city, 2 Sam. vi,
1 Chron. xiii.
But that he might do it regularly, having first pre-
pared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a
tent, and declared that none ought to carry the ark of
God but the Levites, he called for Zadok and Abia-
thar the priests, and for the chief of the Levites ; and
putting them in mind that they were the chief of the
fathers of the Levites, bid them sanctify themselves,
they and their brethren, that they might bring up the
ark of the Lord God of Israel unto the place which
he had prepared for it : ' For, said he, because ye did
not so at the first, therefore the Lord our God made
this breach upon us ; for that we sought him not after
the due order.'
The priests and Levites thus admonished of their
duty, sanctified themselves ; and the Levites took up;
the ark of God, with the staves thereof, and bare it
upon their shoulders", as Moses, according to the
word of the Lord, had commanded. And the Le-
vites, by David's direction, appointed some of their
brethren to sing^ and to play upon instruments of mu-
sic. And when all things were thus disposed in a due
order, king David, with the elders of Israel, and the
captains over thousands, set forward to bring up the
ark of the covenant of the Lord from the house of
• A. M. 2722.
496 SACRED HISTORY. PART III.
Obed-Edom with joy. And when they that did bear
the ark of the Lord had advanced six paces, he sacri-
ficed oxen and fatlings, to wit, seven bullocks and
seven rams.
King David had dressed himself that day, some-
what like the Levites and singers, in a linen ephod, in
which he danced before the ark with all his might ;#
and so brought up the ark with shouting, and with the
sound of the trumpet, and with several other sorts of
musical instruments. And as they entered the city,
Michal, the daughter of Saul, looking through a win-
dow, saw her husband, king David, leaping and danc-
ing before the Lord : and either not understanding, or
not duly considering the reason upon which he did it,
she despised him in her heart.
Now when they had brought in the ark of the Lord,
and had set it in its place, in the midst of the taberna-
cle that king David had pitched for it, he oifered burnt
offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. And
then blessing the people in the name of the Lord of
Hosts, he distributed to every one of Israel, as well
to the women as the men, a cake, or loaf, of bread, and
a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine, and so dis-
missed them.
Then having appointed certain Levites to minister
before the ark of the Lord, to record what was done,
and to thank and praise the Lord God of Israel, king
David delivered unto Asaph, the chief of the singers,
a psalm of thanksgiving unto the Lord ; which as de-
livered in 1 Chron. xvi, from ver. 8 to 37, contains the
hundred and fifth psalm to ver. 16, with little varia-
tion ; and then takes in the ninety-sixth psalm.
Matters being thus disposed, as the people returned
every one to his house, so David returned to his also,
to bless his houshold, 2 Sam. vi. And now out comes
his wife Michal to meet him, and (for want of aright
consideration and sense of the service he had been
engaged in) thus in an ironical, upbraiding way re-
ceived him ; * How glorious, said she, was the king
* A. M/2959.
PART III. SACRED HISTORYV 497
of Israel to-day, who uncovered himself in the sight
of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain
fellows uncovereth himself I7
King David not brooking this reproach from his
wife, told her, 4 It was before the Lord he had so
humbled himself, who had chosen him before her fa-
ther, and before all his house, and had appointed him
ruler over his people Israel.' Then he let her know,
that for all her taunting, he would play before the
Lord, and would be yet more vile in this sense, and
debase himself more in his own sight ; and that though
she despised him, those very maid-servants whom she
twitted him with, would honour him for it.
Michal's offence in this matter was threefold ;
against her husband, against her kitig, and against
God ; for whose sake, and in honour of whom, her
royal husband had done that which she reproached
him for. And for this offence, her punishment was,
that she should be childless all the rest of her life, as,
for aught appears, she had been hitherto.
By this time David's house, which Hiram, 2 Sam.
v. 11, 1 Chron. xiv. 1, had sent him timber and work-
men to build, was finished, and he peaceably settled in
it ; the Lord having given him rest for a while from
all his enemies round about, 2 Sam. vii, 1 Chon. xvii.
Upon which occasion he is thought to have composed
the thirtieth psalm, which the title thereof seems to
import: though some think that psalm was made upon
David's return after Absalom's rebellion, and his purg-
ing his house from Absalom's pollutions.
And now a religious concern possessed his mind)
to build a temple to the Lord. Wherefore having
Nathan the prophet one day with him, he said to the
prophet, ' See now, I dwell in an house of cedar ; but
the ark of God dwelleth within curtains ;' which is a
periphrasis of the tabernacle.
Nathan readily understood him ; and concluding so
fair a motion deserved encauragement, replied, L Go,
do all that is in thine heart: for God is with thee.'
But herein the good prophet missed, judging from his
2 s 2
498 SACRED HISTORY. PART III.
own apprehension of the goodness of the thing, without
consulting God ; who will have all his work done in
his Own time and way, and by such only as he appoints
thereunto.
The same night therefore, the word of the Lord
came to Nathan the prophet, saying, 4 Go tell David,
my servant, thus saith the Lord, Thou shall not build
me an house to dwell in : for I have not dwelt in an
house since the day that I brought up Israel unto this
day ; but have gone from tent to ten*, and IVom one
tabernacle to another. In all the places wherein I have
walked with all Israel, have I blamed any of the judges
of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people, for
not building me an house of cedar ? that thou should-
est presume to take such a work upon thee without my
order.'
Then charging the prophet to remind David from
how low a condition the Lord had taken him, and to
what an height of greatness he had raised him, he bid
him tell David that he would provide a place of rest
and safety for his people in general, and in particular
would establish David's family : and that after his
death, he would set up one of his sons upon his throne ;
which son should build an house for him ; and he
would establish the kingdom unto him for ever, and
would be a father to him, and would take him for a
son, and would deal by him as a son, 2 Sam. vii,
1 Ghron. xvii ; so that if he should commit iniquity, he
wTmld not take his mercy wholly from him, to cut him
off, as he had done Saul ; but would chastise him with
the rod of men, that is, tenderly, as parents do their
own children.
This message Nathan delivered to David ; and
without doubt, then gave him the reason also, why the
Lord would not let him build an house ; which was
I e cause he had made great wars, and had shed much
blood; as himself afterwards told his son Solomon,
1 Chron. xxii. 8.
When David had received this message, that he
might shew hi3 subjection to the will of God, and ex-
PART III. SACRED HISTORV. 499
press his thankfulness to the Lord, he went in and sat
before the Lord ; and debasing himself, that he might
the more fully acknowledge the goodness and munifi-
cence of God unto him, in raising him to what he
was, he returned most hearty thanks to the Lord for
his manifold favours conferred on him, and for his
gracious promise to settle his son upon the throne,
and establish his family in the government ; conclud-
ing with earnest supplication, that the blessing of the
Lord might rest upon him and his house forever.
Which read more at large in 2 Sam. vii, from verse
18 to the end.
David, now sensible that he had mistaken his work,
in designing to build an house for God, applied him-
self to his proper service for which the Lord had raised
him up ; which was to subdue the enemies of Israel,
and enlarge the kingdom which he was to leave to his
peaceable successor, 2 Sam. viii, 1 Chron. xviii.
First, therefore, falling upon the Philistines, he took
from them the royal city Gath, with the towns belong-
ing to it, and brought the Philistines into subjection.
This city Gath was called Methegammah, or the
bridle of bondage, because it kept the country in bon-
dage.
Then turning his forces upon Moab, he reduced the
Moabites to that condition, that, demolishing their
forts, he put to death whom he pleased, and whom he
pleased he saved alive, making them his servants and
tributaries.
From thence going on to settle the borders of the
country, at the river Euphrates, Hadadezer (called
also Hadarezer, 2 Chron. xviii. 3) the son of Rehob,
king of Zobah, opposing him, he put Hadadezer to
the worst, and took from him a thousand chariots, and
seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand foot-
mea ; and reserving horses for an hundred chariots
only, he houghed, or cut the hamstrings of the rest of
the chariot horses.
The Syrians of Damascus, hearing how hard it
went with Hadadezer, came forth to succour him j
500 SACRED HISTORY. PART III.
and of them David slew two and twenty thousand.
This loss so weakened them, that David put garrisons
in Syria of Damascus, and made the Syrians his ser-
vants and tributaries.
In his return from smiting the Syrians, the Edom-
ites encountered him in a place called the Valley of
Salt; of whom he slew eighteen thousand men, and
thereby subdued Edom too ; and putting garrisons
upon them, made the Edomites also his servants.
And upon this occasion he is thought to have com-
posed the sixtieth psalm.
From this expedition he brought with him to Jeru-
salem good store of gold and of brass ; for from Ha-
dadezer's soldiers he took shields of gold ; and from
Berah and Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, he took a
great deal of brass.
Thus came David safe back, the Lord having pre-
served him whithersoever he went, and given him re-
nown for his great atchievements. And now reigning
over all Israel, and being at rest from war, he applied
himself to execute judgment and justice unto all his
people, having Joab, his sister Zeruiah's son, for his
general ; Jehoshaphat for recorder ; Zadok, the son of
Ahitub, of the stock of Eleazar, 1 Chron. vi. 4 and 8,
and Ahimelech, the son of Abiathar, of the line of
Ithamar, for priests (grandson to that Ahimelech of
Nob, whom Saul slew by the hand of Doeg, 1 Sam.
xxii) ; Serajah for secretary of state ; and Benajah, the
son of Jehoiadah, for captain of the guards ; which
consisted of Cherethites, who were of Israel, and
Pelethites, who were of Judah ; veteran soldiers alh
And David's sons, which were many, for he had six
born in Hebron, while he lived there, and thirteen
after he came to Jerusalem, besides the sons of his
concubines, 1 Chron. iii, ver. 1 to 10, were all princes.
Hadadezer, it seems, had had wars with Toi (called
also Tou, 1 Chron. xviii. 9) king of Hamath, a city
of Canaan, Numb. xiii. 21, which fell to'thelot.of
Napthali, Josh. xix. 32, 35. Wherefore king Toi,
hearing how David had beaten Kadadezer, tk \t his
PART III. SACfLED HISTORY. 50i
son Joram to salute king David, and congratulate his
good success. Joram brought David a present from
his father, of vessels of silver, gold, and brass ; all
which, with the silver and gold that he had taken from
all the nations that he had subdued, king David did
dedicate unto the Lord, for the service of the temple
that was to be built.
And now, settled in peace and prosperity, David
remembered the former kindness of his true friend
and brother Jonathan, 2 Sam. ix. And inquiring if
there was any of Saul's family unto whom he might
shew kindness for Jonathan's sake, Ziba, an old ser-
vant of Saul's, was called, as one that could best give
an account of his master's family. He acquainted
David, that Jonathan had a son yet living, named Me*
phibosheth, who was lame of his feet. Whereupon
David, understanding by Zibah where he was, sent
and fetched him to him ; and receiving him very
courteously, bid him not fear ; for he would certainly
shew him kindness for his father Jonathan's sake, and
would restore him all the lands of his grandfather
Saul, and he should always eat at his table. Mephi-
bosheth thereupon bowing, and abasing himself, ex-
pressed the sense he had of the king's goodness, in
taking notice of so mean a person as he was.
But David calling for Ziba, said to him, ' I have
given unto Mephibosheth, thy master's son, all that
did appertain unto Saul, and to all his house. Thou,
therefore, with thy sons and thy servants, shall till the
land for him ; and thou shalt bring in the fruits for
thy master Mephibosheth's son (for Mephibosheth
had a young son, named Micho). i But as for Me-
phibosheth himself, he shall always eat at my table.'
Ziba un4ertaking the charge, he and his family, fif-
teen sons and twenty servants, were all servants unto
Mephibosheth ; who himself, dwelling at Jerusalem,
did eat continually at the king's table, as one of the
king's sons.
Some time after this, 2 Sam. x, 1 Chron. xix, Da-
vid having heard that Nahash, king of Amnion, was
502 SACRED HISTORY. T NRT IIT.
dead, and that Harum his son succeeded him ; and
gratefully remembering some kindness, which it seems
Nahash had formerly shewed him, probably in the
time of his troubles under Saul, though I find no par-
ticular mention of it in the story, in return of kind-
ness, sent an embassy of condolence to Hanun, to
comfort him for the death of his father, and congratu-
late his accession to the crown.
When these ambassadors were come to the Am-
monitish court, the princes of Ammon persuaded their
king, that David had not sent them in honour to his
father, or to comfort him ; but that, under that pre-
tence, he had sent them as spies, to search out the
strength of the city, that he might invade it.*
Hanun thereupon seizing on the ambassadors, shav-
ed off one half of their beards, and cut eff their gar-
ments in the middle of their, buttocks, and in that
reproachful manner -sent them away.
The men, thus basely exposed to contempt, were so
ashamed, they knew not how to return home. Where-
fore David, being advertised of the abuse, sent some
to meet them, and bid them tarrv at Jericho until their
beards were grown again.
This violation of the law of nations, which gives
protection to ambassadors, the Ammonites afterwards
(but too late) considered it was not likely king David
would put up with. WTherefore expecting to be called
to account for it, they sent and hired men out of Syria
and other neighbouring parts to the number of three
and thirty thousand : and drawing out all their own
men from their several cities, they made all the pro-
vision they could for their defence. And David, not
bearing to let such an insolent affront go unpunished,
sent Joab with all the host of the mighty men against
them.
The Ammonites expecting them, had ranged their
battle before their own city, at the entrance of the
gate, having their mercenary forces in a body by them-
selves in the field ; which when Joab saw, he also di-
* A. M- ■'
PART III. SACRED HISTORY. 503
vided his army into two parts ; and picking out all the
choice men of Israel, he himself led them up against
the mercenaries, leaving the rest of his forces with his
brother Abishai, to engage the Ammonites. Then he
and his brother agreeing to relieve each other as need
should require, Joab exhorted all his men to be of
good courage, and to behave themselves valiantly for
their people, and for the cities of their God, and leave
the success to the Lord.
Joab having thus encouraged his men, made a fierce
charge upon the Syrians, and soon put them to flight.
The sight of which so discouraged the Ammonites,
that they fled also, and got into the city. And thus,
with a victory easily obtained, Joab returned with his
army to Jerusalem.
But it was not long ere he was obliged to draw forth
his men again. For the Syrians, to recover their late
loss, raised a new army ; and Hadarezer sent and
brought over the Syrians that were beyond the river,
who all came to Helam, having Shobach, the captain
of Hadarezer's host, at the head of them.
As soon as David heard of this, he gathered all his
forces together, and passing over Jordan, marched
himself with them to Helam. The Syrians, as soon
as they saw him come, putting themselves in order,
gave him battle. In which David prevailing, the Sy-
rians fled, having lost Shobach their general, and about
seven and forty thousand men ; whereof some were
horsemen, some foot, and some that fought in chariots.
And when the petty kings, who were tributaries to
Hadarezer, saw that they were smitten before Israel,
they made peace with Israel, and served them : for
having smarted so deeply for their kindness to the
Ammonites, they were afraid to help them any more.
But David, resolving to chastise the Ammonites yet
more sharply for their late insolence, sent Joab forth
the next campaign with a very great army against
them ; who having ravaged the country, and destroyed
the Ammonites wherever he could come atthe,m, laid
504- SACRED HISTORY. TART III.
siege at length to their royal city Rabbah,the metrop-
olis of the Ammonites.
But David, who had better have been at the head of
his army, lay loitering now at home ; and having taken
his ease upon his bed one afternoon, as the manner of
great persons in those hot countries was, he arose in
the evening, and to enjoy the benefit of a cool air walked
upon the roof of his house, which, according to the
appointment in the law, Deut. xxii. 8, was built fiat,
with battlements round about the roof, to prevent any
one's falling off.
From thence his roving eye happened to espy a very
beautiful woman bathing and washing herself privately
in her garden, probably for purification-sake, according
to the law, Lev. xv.^" And inquiring who she was,
he was told her name was Bathsheba, called also Bath-
shua, 1 Chron. iii. 5, the daughter of Eliam, called
there also Ammiel, and wife of Uriah ; who, though
an Hittite by nation, was proselyted to the Jewish
religion, and so marrying this Israelitish woman, lived
in Jerusalem ; but was at that time with the army at
the siege of Rabbah.
David, taken with the woman's beauty, sent for her,
and lay with her ; and she thereupon conceiving, sent
him word she was with child, 2 Sam. xi. Now though
David seemed not to be sensible of the evil he had
done, yet he was of the shame that might come upon
him by it ; and therefore contriving how to hide it, he
sent to Joab to send home Uriah the Hittite to him,
as if he had some particular business with him.
When Uriah was come to the king, after some gen*
eral inquiries how Joab did, and how the people far-
ed, and how the war proceeded, David, in seeming
kindness to Uriah, as one that might be weary after
his journey, bid him go down to his house and wash
his feet, that is, rest and refresh himself ; and withall
sent a mess of meat after him. But Providence so dis-
posed, that Uriah, though he took his leave of the king,
did not go down to his house ; but, falling in with
* A. M. 2970.
FART III. SACRRB HISTORY. 505
the yeomen of the guard, slept at the door of the
king's house.
When David understood next morning that Uriah
had not gone home, he called him to him, and asked
him what the matter was that he did not go home,
seeing he came off from a journey. Uriah bluntly
and soldier-like made him answer, ' That inasmuch
as the ark, with Israel and Judah, abode in tents, and
his lord general Joab, with the rest of the king's serv-
ants, were encamped in the open fields, he would not
indulge himself so far as to go to his house, to eat
and to drink, and to lie with his wife.'
When David found he could not work upon him
sober, he resolved to try what he could do with him
when he was drunk. Wherefore, keeping him another
day, he feasted him highly, and plied him so with
strong liquors that he made him drunk ; hoping that
then he would go home to his wife : but neither sober
nor drunk could Uriah be drawn to it. But at even-
ing going forth from the king's presence, he clapt him-
self down in the guard-chamber, and there slept.
This put David upon a worse course : for now he
resolved Uriah should die ; that, since he would not
cover, he might not discover, nor revenge his offence.
Wherefore dismissing Uriah, he sent by him a let-
ter to Joab, wherein he ordered Joab to set Uriah in
the forefront of the battle, and in the most dangerous
place ; and then retire from him, that he might be
smitten and die.
Accordingly, Joab observing what part of the city
was best defended, assigned Uriah to a place where
he knew there were valiant men ; and when the be-
sieged made a sally, they slew some of the besiegers,
and amongst them Uriah.
Joab soon sent an express to David, to give hiaiaii
account of the success of the war ; bidding him, if he
found the king displeased that things were no better,
and that he should blame them for approaching e.o
near, within danger of the wall, he should then tell
vol. i. 2 T
506 SACRED HISTORY. PART IH.
him of Uriah's death ; which, by the letter he had
received, he knew would please him, though perhaps
he might not then know why.
The messenger thus instructed went to David, and
having given him an account of the battle ; how dar-
ingly the enemy sallied forth against them ; how they
beat them back to the very entrance of the gate ; and
how the archers, shooting from the wall, had slain
some of the king's servants, and among the rest Uriah
the Hittite. David, having what he aimed at, sent
back the messenger, bidding him encourage Joab to
go forward, and not to be troubled at the loss ; but
consider that the sword makes no difference, but de-
vours one as well as another ; and that therefore he
should make his battle stronger, renew his assaults
with greater vigour, and batter the city until he had
overthrown it.
Now when Bathsheba heard that her husband Uriah
was dead, she made a formal mourning for him ; and
when that was over, David sent and fetched her to his
house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son :
but the thing that David had done was evil in the sight
of the Lord.
Meanwhile Joab having straitened Rabbah, and by
assault taken that part of the city wherein the springs
and conduits of water were, 2 Sam. xii, whence he
foresaw the city could not long hold it, he dispatched
a messenger to David, to acquaint him what progress
he had made, and to intreat him to come with the rest
of his forces, and be present in person at the taking of
the city, lest, otherwise, if Joab should take it without
him, or in his absence, it should thenceforth be
called by Joab's name.
David thereupon, gathering his people together,
went to Rabbah, and fighting against it, took it. And
besides the spoil of the city, which he brought away
in great abundance, he took their king's crown from off
his head, and had it set upon his own head : which
crown, weighing a talent of gold, was worth four
thousand and five hundred pounds sterling, according
TART III. SACRED HISTORY. 50V
to Godwyn's Moses and Aaron, 1. vi, c. x, besides
the precious stones that were on it.
As for the people that were in Rabbah, they having
exasperated him by a double offence ; first, in the
abuse put upon him in the persons of his ambassadors,
2 Sam. x. 4, which gave the occasion for this war :
and now, in holding out to the last extremity till the
place was taken by storm, he gave them no quarter:
but, putting them to the extremest torments, made
them suffer under saws and axes of iron, and under
harrows, and caused them to pass through the brick-
kiln. And having dealt in like manner with the in-
habitants of the other cities of the Ammonites, he re-
turned in triumph with his people to Jerusalem.
Now king David thought himself safe in the pos-
session of Bathsheba, whom he had brought to his
bed through the dishonour and blood of her husband ;
when God sent his prophet Nathan to him, to rouse
him out of his adulterous lethargy, and make him un-
wittingly his own judge.
This the prophet did by proposing to him the fol-
lowing parable, as demanding justice of him for an
oppressed poor man against a rich oppressor.
' There were, said Nathan to the king, two men in
one city ; the one rich, and the other poor. The rich
man had exceeding many flocks and herds'; but the poor
man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he
had bought and brought up among his children, so that
it did eat and drink as he eat and drank, and lav in his
bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. And there
coming a traveller to visit the rich man, he spared to
take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress
for the stranger that was come to him ; but took the
poor man's lamb and dressed it, to entertain his guest.'*
David's anger was greatly kindled against this rich
man ; and presently passing sentence on him, said to
Nathan, 4 As the Lordliveth, the man that hath done
this thing is worthy to die : and he shall also restore
the lamb four-fold, because he did this thing, and had
no pity.'
508 SACRED HISTORY. PART IIIw
Little thought David that he had sentenced himself,
till the prophet turning quick upon him, said, c Thou
art the man.' That was an home-stroke. Yet to set it
more home, and leave David without defence or ex-
cuse, the prophet went on, and by way of aggravation
added : ' Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anoint-
ed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of
the hand of Saul, and I gave thee thy master's house,
and thy master's wives into thy bosom. I gave thee
also the house of Israel and Judah ; and if that had
been too little, I would moreover have given thee such
and such things. Wherefore then hast thou despised
the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight ?
For thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword,
and hast taken his wife to be thy wife ; for though he
was slain by the Ammonites, yet inasmuch as thou
didst contrive and appoint his death, thou art guilty of
his blood j and therefore the sword shall not depart
from thine house all thy days. And because thou hast
despised me, in taking the wife of Uriah the Hittite to
be thy wife, thus saith the Lord, i Behold, I will raise
up evil against thee out of thine own house ; and I will
take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto
thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the
sight of the sun : for though thou didst it secretly, I
will do this thing before all Israel, and before, the sun,
in the most open manner.'
Poor David, pricked to the heart, and self-condemn-
ed, made no excuse ; but simply said, * I have sinned
n gainst the Lord.' The confession was short, but full.
And he who knew the integrity of his heart, commis-
sioned his prophet thereupon to tell him, he would not
take him strictly at his word ; but would transfer the
sentence of death (which he unwittingly had pro-
nounced upon himself) from him unto the child. ' The
Lord also, said Nathan to David, hath put away thy
sin : thou shalt not die thyself for it. Yet because
by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the
enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child that is
born to thee of this adulterous congress shall surely die.'
l'ART III. SACRED HISTORY. 509
The prophet Nathan, having thus delivered his
message, departed home : and immediately the Lord
struck the child, so that it was very sick. David
therefore besought God for the child, and, keeping a
fast, went in and lay all night upon the earth : so that
although the elders of his house went to him, and in-
treated him to arise and eat, yet he would not.
On the seventh day from the child's birth (say Tre-
mellius and j unius) the child died : and David's serv-
ants, seeing how he grieved while the child was alive,
were afraid to tell him that it was dead, lest he should
then afflict himself more. But when David by their
whispering suspected, and upon inquiry understood
that the child was dead, he arose from the earth, and
washed and anointed himself, and having changed his
apparel, he went into the house of the Lord and wor-
shipped. After which, returning to his own house, he
did eat.
This made his servants wTonder, that he, who fasted
and wept for the child while it was alive, should rise
and refresh himself with food when it was dead. But
David removed their wonder, by telling them he fasted
and wept while the child was alive, in hopes that
God would be graciously pleased to spare the child's
life. 4 But now, said he, that the child is dead, where-
fore should I fast, seeing I cannot bring him back
again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.'
About this time it was, at least on this occasion, that
David composed the one and fiftieth psalm : which
the reader, before he proceeds further, may do well
to turn to and read.
After this, David comforted Bathsheba his wife,
and she bare him another son. Whereupon the Lord
sent Nathan the prophet to him, to bid him call this
son Solomon ; which name signifies peaceable ; and
was therefore given him, because the Lord had prom-
ised, not only that he himself should be a man of
rest, but that he would give peace and quietness in his
days to Israel, 1 Chron. xxii. 9, And because the
2 T 2
510 SACRKD HISTORY. PART IH.
Lord loved this child, David called him also Jedidiah,
that is, beloved of the Lord.
Although David had many sons, yet we read but of
one daughter that he had, 2 Sam. xiii, whose name
was Tamar, sister to Absalom, the king's third son,
whom he had by Maacha, the daughter of Talmai,
king of Geshur.
And now began that judgment which God had so
lately denounced against David, viz. 4 That he would
raise up evil against him out of his own house,' 2 Sam.
xii. 11. For Amnon the king's eldest son, which he
had by his wife Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, fell desper-
ately in love with his half-sister Tamar, whose extra-
ordinary beauty so captivated the young prince's affec-
tion, that he pined away through an hopeless desire
after her : for she, being a young virgin, was so care-
fully kept within the king's house (as the manner of
breeding the Jewish damsels was, those especially that
were of the higher rank) that Amnon, though her
brother, knew not how to come at her.
The trouble of Amnon's mind discovering itself in
his countenance, gave occasion to Jonadab, his inti-
mate friend and cousin-german (as being the son of
Shimeah, David's brother) to inquire of him what
ailed him, that he (who being the king's eldest son,
might be supposed to have whatever he desired) looked
so thin, and wasted daily in his flesh ? Amnon, at
Jonadab's importunity, told him plainly, he was in
love with Tamar, his brother Absalom's sister.
Jonadab thereupon, being a very subtle man, advised
his cousin Amnon to feign himself sick, and betake
bin self to his bed ; which would draw his father to
visit him : and then he should request his father to
let his sister Tamar come and dress him something to
ra., that he, seeing her do it, might eat it from her
hand.
Pursuant to this advice, Amnon took his bed like a
sick man ; which when the king heard of, he quickly
came to see him : and Amnon intreating the king his
father to let his sister Tamar come and make him a
PAHT Hi; SACRED HISTORY. 511
couple of cakes, the king, suspecting nothing of a de-
sign, sent word to Taraar, that she should go to her
brother Amnon's house, and dress for him what he
would have to eat.
Tamar very innocently went ; and finding her bro-
ther Amnon on his bed, she made him such cakes as
he directed and having baked them, brought chem to
him : but his stomach did not yet serve him , neither
would he eat while the company was there. But when
all were gone, so that he only and she were left alone
together, he desired her to bring the cakes to him :
which she doing, he took hold of her, and said,
4 Come, lie with me, my sister.'
The poor princess, surprised at so strange a propo-
sition, and hoping to prevail with him by persuasion,
begged him to let her alone, and not attempt to violate
her chastity : laying before him the guilt he would
bring upon himself, by so possitive a breach of the
law, Lev. xviii. 9 ; the shame he would expose her to,
and the contempt he would subject himself to, by
committing an act not only very sinful, but extremely
foolish also ; when as, in all probability, if he made
suit to her father for her, he might have his consent to
marry her : which course she advised him to take,
perhaps to gain time, and free herself from the present
danger.
But Amnon was not to be answered with words.
This was not a sudden heat, but a settled desire, and a
contrived design upon her. And, therefore, having
now gained his opportunity, he was deaf to all her
reasons, counsel, and intreaties j and being stronger
than she, he forced her.
Having obtained his wicked end, the answering of
his lust, Amnon's hot love presently turned to burning-
hatred. He hated Tamar so exceedingly, that the
hatred wherewith he hated her, was greater than the
love wherewith he had loved her. And in this hateful
fit, he churlishly bid her c Arise and be gone.'
This troubled Tamar much, not only from the
sense of his unkrndness, but of the danger of discover-
512 SACRED HISTORY. FART Ilr.
ing, by this means, the guilt and shame he had brought
upon himself and her. Wherefore she told him, he
had no cause to deal thus roughly with her ; and that
the evil of turning her thus out of doors, would be
worse, in the consequences of it, than the other that
he had done unto her. But he refusing to hear her,
called his servant, and bid him put her out of doors,
and bolt the door after her: which accordingly the
servant did.
Poor Tamar, thus abused and basely dealt wTith,
rent her garment, which was of divers colours, as, for
distinction sake, the unmarried daughters of kings in
that age used to wear : and having put ashes upon her
head, she laid her hand also on her head, in token of
great sorrow, and went crying away to her brother Ab-
salom's house.
As soon as Absalom saw her in that condition,
suspecting what had befallen her, he asked her, if
her brother Amnon had been with her. And when
she had told him how she had been dealt with, he
wished her to consider that Amnon was her brother,
against whom if she should complain, it was not likely
the should obtain justice, he being the king's eldest
son; and that her complaining would but spread her
reproach, and bring infamy upon their whole family :
arid therefore he advised her to keep her own counsel,
and not lay this injury to heart.
Tamar taking her brother Absalom's advice, re-
mained in his house ; but in a desolate condition. As
for Absalom, he, dissembling his knowledge of the
matter, hid his resentment of the injury : and though
he hated Amnon, for having forced his sister ; yet he
took no notice of it to him„
But when king David heard of it, he was very
wroth ; yet we read not of any punishment inflict-
ed on Amnon for it : for David was an indulgent fa-
ther.
Full two years did Absalom wait for an opportunity
to be revenged on his brother Amnon, which at length
he thus contrived ; he had a day of sheep-shearing at
PART III. SACRED HISTORY. 513
his country-house, to which he invited all the king's
sons ; and to colour the matter invited the king him-
self first.
The king excused himself from going, upon the ac-
count that he would not put him to too great charges ;
and though Absalom pressed, he refused to go : yet to
let him see he was not offended with him, he gave him
his blessing before he parted with him. Absalom then
intreated him to let his brother Amnon go with him ;
which David made some hesitation at, but Absalom's
importunity prevailed with him, to let not only Am-
non, but all the rest of the king's sons, go with him to
his sheep-shearing feast.
Absalom had given his servants a strict charge be-
forehand, that when Amnon's heart should be merry
with wine, and he should bid them smite him, they
should fall on courageously and kill him, and he would
bear them out. The servants, obsequious to their
master's command, when he gave them the watch
word, fell upon prince Amnon, though heir apparent
to the crown, and killed him. This put all the rest of
the king's sons in such a fright, not knowing where
the assassination would end, that, not attempting to
revenge their brother's death, they every one mounted
his mule, and fled towards their father's court.
But report was speedier than they. So that ere
they could reach the court, tidings were brought to
David, ' That Absalom had slain all the rest of the
king's sons, and had not left one of them alive.'
At this astonishing news, the king tore his garment,
and lay on the ground ; and all his servants stood by
with their clothes rent; which when Jonadab, David's
brother's son, the same who had encouraged and coun-
selled Amnon to take that course, for the satisfying of
his lust, which had brought him to this untimely end,
observed, he, to mitigate the king's grief, desired him
not to think that all his sons were slain : for he could
assure him, that only Amnon was dead; and that his:^
death had been determined by Absalom from the day
that he forced his sister Tamar.
514 SACRED HISTORY". TART III.
By that time Jonadab had done speaking, the rest of
the king's sons came in ; and the king and they, with
all the court, wept and lamented very sore.
Absalom meanwhile made his escape to Talmai,
king of Geshur, his mother's father, with whom he
lived a voluntary exile three years. In which time,
David having mourned daily for his son Amnon, and
being now comforted concerning him, seeing he was
dead, began to hone after his son Absalom again.
This being observed by Joab, the king's general,
and cousin-german to Absalom, he bent his mind to
contrive a way to obtain Absalom's pardon, and re-
store him to the favour of the king his father. Where-
fore sending to Tekoa, a town about six miles from
Jerusalem, where the prophet Amos afterwards lived,
Amos i. 1, he fetched from thence a wise woman ;
whom, having told her what she should say, he de-
sired to feign herself a mourner, and putting on
mourning apparel, to go to the king as one that had
a long time mourned for the dead.
The woman thus instructed, went to the king,
2 Sam. xiv, and falling on her face to the ground, to
do obeisance to him, said, ' Help, O king i' The king
thereupon asking her what she ailed, she answered,
4 I am a widow woman, and my husband is dead : and
thy handmaid had two sons, who strove together in
the field; and there being none to part them, the one
smote the other, and slew him. And now, said she,
the whole family is risen up against thine handmaid,
and would have me deliver up him that smote his
brother, that they may kill him, for the life of his bro-
ther whom he slew : and so destroying the heir also,
they would quench that little spark of life which is
left to oar family, and not leave to my husband either
name or remainder upon the earth.'
The king, having heard her complaint and request,
bid her go home, and he would give charge concern-
ing hen But this being too general an answer, the
woman told him c If he would protect her son against
the avengers of blood, the iniquity of his having
PART III. SACRED HISTORY. 515
killed his brother in the fray, should be upon her
afid her father's house ; and the king and his throne
should be guiltless.' Whereupon the king bid her,
whosoever should molest her on that occasion, bring
him to him, and he would take such a course with him
that he should not trouble her any more. This yet
was not home enough to reach the case ; for she aim-
ed at getting a promise from him, that he would par-
don her son : wherefore, to draw the king still further
on, she again bespake him thus, ' I pray thee, let the
king remember the Lord thy God, that thou suffer not
the avengers of blood to destroy any more, lest they
destroy my son.' Upon that the king, to give her as-
surance, said, * As the Lord liveth, there shall not
one hair of thy son fall to the earth.'
The woman now reckoning she had fast hold of the
king by his word, opened the matter plainly to him ;
letting him know, that under parable of a widow,
mourning for the loss of one son, and for the danger
of losing the other, she had covertly represented to
him the grief of his people for the absence of his son
Absalom, and their earnest desire that he might be
recalled from banishment.
When the king saw how wilily he had been over-
reached, he suspected Joab to have had an hand in the
contrivance ; and asking the woman, if it were not so,
she told him, it was ; and that Joab had instructed her
what she should say.* Whereupon the king calling
for Joab, told him, he had granted Absalom's pardon ;
and bid him go bring him home again. Joab return-
ing humble thanks to the king for having so graciously
granted his request, went joyfully to the court of king
Talmai, at Geshur ; and from thence brought Absalom
to Jerusalem : but when he was come, the king gave
order, that he should go to his own house, and not
come to court.
This restraint was uneasy to Absalom. Where-
fore when he had dwelt two full years in Jerusalem,
and in all that time had not been admitted to the king's
• A. M. 2975.
516 SACRED HISTORY. PART IU.
presence, he sent for Joab, intending to have sent him
to intercede with the king on his behalf: but truly
Joab would not come at him. When therefore he had
sent for him a second time, and he had again refused
to come, Absalom, remembring that Joab had a field
of barley lying near to his, bid his servants go set
it on fire: which when they had done, Joab quickly
came to Absalom, to expostulate the case with him,
and to know what the reason was that his servants had
fired his field.
Abs^om told him he had sent for him that he might
send him to the king, to intreat that he might be
brought to the king's presence ; and then, if the king
thought him worthy of death, let him kill him ; for he
had rather die, than live under this confinement.
Joab then going to the king, and acquainting him
how hardly Absalom took it, to be brought from Ge-
shur two years ago, and not to be suffered in so long a
time to see him ; the king thereupon called for him,
who being come, and bowing himself on his face to the
ground before the king, was by him received with a
kiss ; a token of forgiveness and royal favour.
%* See a continuation of this Second Book of Samuely in
the beginning of VoL II.
END OF VOLUME I.
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